Guest Review - Origins of Marvel Comics

Doug: Thomas F. is back again this week with some thoughts on a book that immediately takes me back to Christmases when I was an elementary school-aged boy. For four years in a row, Christmas morning was especially brightened by the appearance of one of Marvel's huge "Origins" books. The first to appear under my tree was actually Son of Origins of Marvel Comics, followed by the initial installment (today's subject) for my birthday in June. Then the next three years Bring On the Bad Guys, The Superhero Women, and Marvel's Greatest Superhero Battles arrived in succession. Along with Treasury Editions, these books are among the best memories outside of actual comics. Thanks, Thomas.

Origins of Marvel Comics (1974 Edition)
Stan Lee, author

Thomas F.: As may be surmised from its title, Origins of Marvel Comics reprints the classic origins of Marvel Comics’ most legendary characters. It should be noted that at the time, trade paperbacks were new on the scene.
Origins of Marvel Comics includes entertaining and informative commentary inserted prior to each origin tale, full of the quirky language, peppered with superlatives, that is so typical of Stan Lee. The introductions evoke Lee’s penchant for showmanship, a trait which made him instantly identifiable as the embodiment of all that is Marvel. Some revealing comic industry background is touched on by Lee as well, plus little tidbits of the day-to-day activities of a newly-resurgent company.

Also included in the volume are reprints that were, in 1974, still fairly recent tales. This was done in order to show the contrast between “then” (the early 1960s) and “now” (the early 1970s), and how Marvel’s comics had evolved in the span of just a decade. Naturally, the origin tales—presumably, for which the reader purchased the book in the first place—are of primary interest.

As far as I’m concerned, these vintage origin tales, though somewhat quaint and dated, are just as appealing today as they were a half-century ago, and this magical quality was infused into them by Stan Lee.
Here is a list of the reprinted contents of Origins of Marvel Comics, 1974 edition:

 

Fantastic Four #1 (Origin story, Fantastic Four vs. the Mole Man)

Fantastic Four #55 (Featuring the Jack Kirby creation, the Silver Surfer)

Amazing Fantasy #15 (Origin story)

Amazing Spider-Man #72 (Spider-Man vs. the Shocker)

Incredible Hulk #1 (Origin story)

Incredible Hulk #118 (Incredible Hulk vs. Sub-Mariner)

Journey Into Mystery #83 (Thor origin story)

The Mighty Thor #143 (Thor vs. the Evil Enchanters)

Strange Tales #110 (First appearance of Dr. Strange)

Strange Tales #115 (Origin story)

Strange Tales #155 (Dr. Strange vs. Umar)

It goes without saying that much of Marvel’s success is to be attributed to Lee’s many collaborators, the artists who co-created the pantheon of Marvel’s superheroes in the early 1960s—especially Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, and John Romita, Sr. Together, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby revolutionized the flagging comic book industry when the Fantastic Four made their iconic first appearance back in November 1961.

This new breed of superheroes were not godlike, omnipotent beings. They were depicted as flawed—full of human foibles, insecurities, and eccentricities. They were often unsuccessful in their personal lives, like Peter Parker/Spider-Man, grotesque freaks like Ben Grimm/The Thing, or even outright embittered outcasts like Dr. Stephen Strange.

To me, it is absolutely clear that it was Lee’s personal brand of dynamism that defined the flavor of Marvel Comics and became the standard to which his successors tried to measure up, and there is no doubt that they took pains to imitate his literary style. True, they may not have had much choice in the matter, since it was company policy to maintain a certain degree of consistency in Marvel’s considerable output.

In 1972, Stan Lee became publisher and handed off the reins to Roy Thomas, who became editor-in-chief. An interesting fact: it was Roy Thomas who instructed that the familiar words “Stan Lee Presents” be added onto the first page of each issue.

Not surprisingly, Origins of Marvel Comics was followed by multiple sequels, the first being Sons of Origins, due to the commercial success of the first installment. Sons of Origins picks up where Origins of Marvel Comics leaves off, showcasing Marvel’s next wave of heroes: the X-Men, Iron Man, Nick Fury, Daredevil, and the Silver Surfer.

For comics book fans new and old alike, Origins of Marvel Comics does not disappoint. It has sentimental value to many and the cultural impact of its dazzling content cannot be understated.

The Origin Story

Karen: What elements make for a successful origin story? While no two characters share exactly the same background, are there certain aspects that resonate with readers?

Karen: I've thought about it and it seems like there is some element of tragedy in many origins. It may not be the major element, but to some degree it is there. It may motivate them for their entire career, or it may simply serve to get them on the path to their eventual career, but it's there. Batman and Spider-Man are obvious examples, with the death of loved ones motivating them to become heroes. Superman's entire planet is destroyed, leaving him the last of his kind (well, sometimes). The early Iron Man wore his chest plate to keep the shrapnel in his chest from reaching his heart-he was always on the edge of dying. Steve Rogers is reborn as Captain America just as his creator/father figure, Dr. Erskine, is killed by a Nazi agent. Norrin Radd sacrifices his humanity and becomes the Silver Surfer to save his world. And so on.

Karen: Now combing through old books, I realize the tragedy angle works mainly with Marvel characters. Looking back at DC heroes, their origins seem far less tragic -although it's hard to know just what those origins are any more,but  I'm sticking with Bronze Age and prior. DC's classic pantheon of characters like Flash, Green Lantern, and Wonder Woman for example, all seem to be worthy people who deserve to receive their powers. Maybe their common element is just that -they are already heroes in a sense, and their powers just makes them super-heroes. That was really the big difference between Marvel and DC though, at least until the 80s -Marvel characters were normal, Everyman types usually who became heroes mostly by accident. DC characters were guys (and gals) who were already better than your average Joe -they were essentially destined for greatness.

Karen: As far as favorites go, I think Spider-Man and Batman have two of the best, most compelling -I like that they are so similar, and yet the two characters are so different. You could spend hours discussing how the loss of their loved ones affected them. I also have always really liked the Superman origin and comparing the many variations that have sprung up over the years. The same goes for Captain America's origin, which has changed in the details over time. 

Karen: I'd like to hear your thoughts on super-hero origin stories, which ones are your favorites, and what in your opinion makes them successful.

Parental Guidance

Doug:  Some of the comments in our recent discussions, notably the post last Friday on periphery products (Karen's tale of a father not happy due to the redecorative properties of the Marvel wall stickers was a hoot) alongside our comics buying, has us thinking about the role our parents and other significant adults played in our buying as children and teens.  Today we'd like to talk about allowances, parental support or disdain (and we hope to not open any wounds for our readers -- forgive us in advance, as that is certainly not the intent of this conversation), and maybe even specific comics you recall a significant adult in your life purchasing for you.

Image courtesy of the Mego Museum

Doug:  My mom was just a saint when it came to supplying this pup with comics and comic-related goodness.  I wish I could remember if I was a royal pain-in-the-butt at the store; I don't think I was, but hey -- I have a hard time remembering what I ate for breakfast yesterday.  I can recall several trips home from Target or Venture with a Mego in hand, and I have vivid memories of riding my bike -- at the ripe old age of 7 (something I never would have let my own kids do) -- to the local drugstore to buy 25c comics.  I really don't have any memories of getting an allowance, although I think I did.  Back in the early 1970's, it probably would have been a dollar per week.  But shoot -- that was four comics!  My dad wasn't around much when I was little, but I remember that he wasn't the least bit excited about my interest in comics.  I don't know that he talked down to me about it, but there were just enough comments made that it was clear where he stood.  Incidentally, I do think he was more in favor of my G.I. Joes, having served in the U.S. Army in the early '60's; Planet of the Apes was stupid, however.  Funny thing is, one of the last comic-related comments he made before the divorce was while looking at the Thor vs. Loki image in Marvel's 1977 calendar and saying of the John Buscema/Joe Sinnott image, "Man, those guys sure can draw muscles!"

Karen: For me too, my mom was always very supportive of my interests, particularly my more creative ones. Heck, she introduced me to the Universal monster films, Basil Rathbone's Sherlock Holmes, the Twilight Zone, and innumerable 50s sci fi films. My older brother brought comics into the house, but I was the one who really went bananas for them, and mom always encouraged my reading of them. She not only bought me comics, she took me to my very first comic book convention -the San Diego Comic Con in 1975. Mom enjoyed anything imaginative and over the top. I recall as a teen taking her to see Star Trek:The Wrath of Khan and The Empire Strikes Back at the theater. She had not been out to a movie theater in many years (she had been bedridden for several years when I was in my tweens) and the powerful, immersive sound system got her as pumped up as any 12 year old kid! At the time, I was annoyed but now I look back and smile. Dad has always been a much more practical guy. While he has never really understood my love of all this stuff, he's never put it down. I recall trips to the drugstore with him and he would pick up a comic or two for me.

Image found at Steve Does Comics

Doug:  As to comics I can recall relatives buying for me, there are a few.  I mentioned in the comments of last Friday's post that my sister and I spent a week in the western suburbs of Chicago with my uncle and aunt.  In 1975 I vividly recall a trip to an indoor amusement park called Old Chicago.  After going on some rides, we went out into the concourse to an ice cream shop.  There must have been some sort of gift shop adjacent to it, as I bird-dogged a spinner rack and instantly wrapped my 9-year eyeballs around it.  I am pretty sure I begged and pestered my aunt into buying me copies of Daredevil #'s 126-127 (October-November 1975) with the Torpedo, and Amazing Spider-Man #150 (November 1975), the epilogue to the "clone saga".  It was 75c well spent, I'm sure, as it probably kept me busy the rest of the day -- after I read them, I'm sure I would have asked for typing paper or tracing paper and done some of my own artwork.  As to specific books from my parents, we've discussed the Fireside books before, and I can recall each Christmas that I got one of the first five volumes, from Origins of Marvel Comics through Marvel's Greatest Superhero Battles.

Karen: For many years, Christmas at our household also meant Marvel goodies, including the "Origins" books as well as calendars. For specific comics, I can recall only a few. But one that  stands out is X-Men #114. When that issue came out, I had been laid up at home for some time with an illness, and there was little that brightened my mood. But when mom came home one day with that comic for me, it really picked me up. To this day I can see that cover in my head effortlessly. That one book lifted me out of a bad time and to this day is one of my favorite issues of the title, probably just for that reason alone. And also, I'll always connect it to my mom, and all her efforts to help me feel better when I was having a rough go of it.

Doug:  Well, the ball is in your court now.  Do you have some remembrances to share, of good deeds and kind relatives?

In Praise of Reprints

Karen: When I was working on my recent Marvel Tales post, it got me to thinking about the importance of reprints to me (and probably many of you). The regular reprint books, the Treasury reprints, and books like Origins of Marvel Comics were exciting, because I was discovering the "history" of the Marvel Universe. Even though by 1972 what we knew as Marvel had only been around 11 years, it seemed like it was already a complicated web of interconnected characters and concepts. Characters in different books knew each other. They would recall past meetings when they got together, and if you hadn't read those stories already, it seemed very intriguing. Had Spider-Man really tried to join the Fantastic Four? Had the Avengers and the FF teamed up to fight the Hulk? Or what about finding out about past details of heroes you'd been reading about? What do you mean, Iron Man used to wear a big ugly suit of grey armor?The Hulk was grey too?

Karen: Finding out these 'facts' made the Marvel Universe seem almost real. There was depth to these characters and the world they lived in. The more I learned, the more I wanted to learn. It completely drew me in.

Karen: Now, the only exception to my enjoyment of reprints is when a reprint was run in a regular title, when the 'dreaded deadline doom' had struck. In the middle of an interesting storyline -like the Serpent Crown Affair in Avengers say - it could be annoying. But otherwise, they were great.



Doug:  At Karen's request, I'm going to drop a couple of statements.  I'll echo everything Karen said about the "big books", like the Treasuries and those wonderful paperbacks at left.  Those were anticipated Christmas gifts for several years in a row (five to be exact!).  However, I must confess a bit of snobbery about titles such as Marvel Tales, Marvel's Greatest Comics, etc.  At some point in my young life, an older kid told me to leave those alone -- they were reprints (like it was a four-letter word!).  He said they were worthless...  Of course, he must have had some knowledge of the burgeoning collector's market of which I had no perception.  As far as I knew, comic books came out every so often at the drug store.  But, not wanting to be dumb or uncool, I heeded his wise-beyond-his-years warning.  Silly me, as now reprints are the only comics I buy!  And like Karen, I grew really uptight when I opened a title that I regularly collected, only to be greeted by Kirby's blocky fingers and that annoying little box "Originally presented in XXX".  Funny how times change, isn't it?  I need to run an updated photo of my comics room, with the 270+ reprint/resource volumes!

Karen: In those early days, most of us didn't have a comic book shop to go to, and who had the money to buy all those old issues? The reprints were the same price as the regular books, and usually reprinted the story in its entirety (there were a few exceptions). Was it an easy way for Marvel to make some more money? Sure. But I look back on those books now as performing an invaluable service -teaching me about the Marvel universe I have so enjoyed for all my life.

Marvelous House Ads, part 3: Marvelous Merchandise

Karen: Perhaps the best, or at least most exciting, house ads were those put out by Marvel for Marvel merchandise. Whether you ever got the stuff or not, it was fun to look at all the different types of items available. Although the comics had ads for superhero and other merchandise from a variety of sellers, we're focusing just on those items offered by Marvel itself. Well, except for our opening one, because it's just too cool!

Karen: Yes, it's what everyone wanted back in 1974: these scintillating collector's medallions! Spidey, Hulk, and Conan on these groovy solid-bronze medallions. And so many ways to wear and display them...all you needed to complete your look was a Hercules wristband and bell bottoms!

Doug: Let it not be lost on anyone, faithful readers, that to have worn one of these bad boys around one's neck would certainly have invited a look of disdain from the ladies!! I fondly recall this ad, but must admit to never actually desiring one of these medallions. But they were cool-looking, even if I would have drawn that sideways glance!

Karen: I'm a little surprised that they went with Conan over Captain America. When I think of Marvel products from the 70s, there were three main characters who were represented: Spidey, Hulk, and Cap. But there's no denying Conan's popularity either.

Doug: Oh, that all-powerful marketing machine! You are correct in your assessment of the Big Three... well, Four.

Karen: Of course, another accessory that you couldn't be without was your Marvel belt buckle. I have to say, if that's the actual art that appeared on the buckles, they didn't put a lot of effort into making it. I mean they just took images from existing covers, and not necessarily good ones either. And the 'Hulk" buckle is actually a Defenders buckle. Of course, what do I know, I never wore a belt! This ad is actually for two products, the second being posters. Those posters are pretty cool, particularly the ones from actual magazine covers. I love how it reads. 'Because Stan (the Man) Lee has heard the word, you can get any of these posters for a mere $2.00". Like Stan had anything to do with the merchandising! But again, this was Marvel's way of telling us, "We're all one big family!"

Doug: You know, I've seen the next generation of these for sale in comics shops. They're just as spiffy. Much cooler than sporting some big honkin' John Deere logo (and probably more comfortable, too!).

Karen: Doug, I know this is one of your favorites, and one of mine too: Mighty Marvel calendars! This one is from 1975, although it says it will still be valuable "in the year 2,001"!! That must have seemed a long way off back then.

Karen: I think my favorite calendar was the bicentennial one, where a lot of the Marvel characters were inserted into historical scenes.

Doug: Now you're cooking in my kitchen! Yep, I have the 1976 calendar you reference, as well as calendars from 1978, 1979, and 1980. You can find a group shot here, and a pic of the July 1976 page featuring Cap here. I did display them, and later went through a period when I regretted doing so. Printed on heavy stock, January and February often began to tear at the pinhole. My mom's solution was to put transparent tape over the hole, thus reinforcing it. But nowadays I'm just glad to have had (and still have) these gems. They were really neat, and the new art dedicated to them was very cool. You also can't beat knowing the birthday of your favorite Bullpen personality!

Karen: Of course, the calendars were great, but this was the one thing I simply couldn't live without: Stan Lee's Origins of Marvel Comics! I got this for Christmas and it completely blew my mind. Not only did you get the origin tales of the FF, Spidey, Thor, the Hulk, and Dr. Strange, but the book also had text from ol' Smilin' Stan himself, explaining how these characters were created (although his recollections might not jibe with others, most especially Jack Kirby's!). This was one of my most treasured possessions -in fact I still have it today! - and I'm sure many folks had the same feeling. Although the ad shown here portrays a slightly different cover than what was finally produced.

Doug: I believe the Surfer was put on hold until Son of Origins. I loved this entire series as it progressed annually. Even though I got Son of Origins first, I nonetheless enjoyed this entire series and Stan's "recollections", as you put it. And yes, the more I read about Stan and Jack, the more their accounts seem to differ. Stan really makes no apologies for his "memories", and of course from Jack we'll never really know -- I guess whatever Mark Evanier says is all we'll get.

Doug Says: "Check out some of my Stuff!" Part 9

Hello, and welcome to another installment of the things I've acquired during a lifelong affair with comics. No photos today, but instead we'll take a look at what became an annual rite of Christmas -- the unwrapping of a volume in the ongoing Origins of Marvel Comics series!


First up is Son of Origins of Marvel Comics, on sale way back in 1975. Of course, this was the sequel to the previous year's "Origins", but I didn't get that one then. I recall that we lived near a mall that had a Walden Books (or some similar store) that had a section called "nostalgia". I didn't know, at the age of 9, what that word meant, but I was very excited that whatever it meant had to do with comics! I believe I requested Son of Origins on my Christmas list, and along with Avengers #'s 145-146, it arrived under the tree.


The cover is striking, yet somewhat stiff when looking at it now. Iron Man dominates the scene -- I was a fan of his appearances in the Avengers, so I knew I would like this. Boy, was I surprised when I got to reading this and saw his first gray armor! My favorite story in the book was the origin of the Silver Surfer. At the time it was the longest single comics story I'd ever read. If I have a complaint, it would be that there are only 1st-issue stories for the X-Men and the Avengers. Here's the rundown of what was included -- links will take you to the Comic Book Database website:


The Avengers (1963) #1
Daredevil (1964) #1
Daredevil (1964) #47
Silver Surfer (1968) #1
Tales of Suspense (1959) #39
Tales of Suspense (1959) #97
Uncanny X-Men (1963) #1


I don't recall when I received Origins of Marvel Comics -- it might have been for my 10th birthday in the summer of 1976. You know, Stan Lee has been much maligned for his "me-centric" focus on the history of Marvel Comics. That's never more prevalent than in the text that precedes each feature in this book. For example, from the Hulk narrative, it's all "I had Jack do this" and "I asked Jack to introduce a kid sidekick" -- like me, you 've probably also read some Kirby apologists who say that the foundations of the Marvel Universe probably leaned past the 50-50 point toward Jack, not Stan. At any rate, they were magical together, and like most famous duos were never the same apart. This book was my introduction to Stan's hucksterism and self-promotion (although I gave neither a second thought at the time -- shoot, I thought Stan was speaking directly to me!).


A note on the cover -- doesn't everyone look great?? Even the Torch's bald head is OK -- weird, especially since John Buscema had recently been drawing him with flaming hair in the FF's own mag.


Here's what was in Origins of Marvel Comics:

Amazing Fantasy (1961) #15
The Amazing Spider-Man (1963) #72
Fantastic Four (1961) #1Fantastic Four (1961) #55
The Incredible Hulk (1962) #1
The Incredible Hulk (1968) #118
Journey Into Mystery (1952) #83
Strange Tales (1951) #110
Strange Tales (1951) #115
Strange Tales (1951) #155
Thor (1966) #143


Bring on the Bad Guys was up next, released in October 1976, and is really a lot of fun. In the days before comics shops, and being so young, I had no access to back issues let alone the seminal stories of the Marvel Age of Comics. This is my favorite volume of the five I own. The origin of Dr. Doom, of the Red Skull, and the unmasking of the Green Goblin. Toss in a few installments of Tales of Asgard that show Thor and Loki as kids, as well as another John Buscema Silver Surfer story, and you have a winner. Here are the issues included in this one:


The Amazing Spider-Man (1963) #40
Fantastic Four (1961) Annual 02
Fantastic Four (1961) #5
Journey Into Mystery (1952) #112
Journey Into Mystery (1952) #113
Journey Into Mystery (1952) #115
Silver Surfer (1968) #3
Strange Tales (1951) #126
Tales of Suspense (1959) #66
Tales of Suspense (1959) #67
Tales of Suspense (1959) #68
Tales to Astonish (1959) #90
Tales to Astonish (1959) #91



And I think I would be remiss if I didn't expose those cave-dwellers among you who have never partaken of Alex Ross's stunning homage to Romita's Bad Guys cover:

I'll admit that I was a little leery in 1977 about asking for The Superhero Women (you think my mom wanted to buy a book with Red Sonja hanging her stuff out all over the place - right on the cover??), but again -- I'm glad I did. Behind another Romita painting (these are just great), the reader was treated to another tour de force of Marvel's female characters. The cover doesn't begin to do the table of contents justice -- in addition to the ladies pictured, origin stories of the Cat, Shanna the She-Devil, and Lyra the Femizon (huh?). Some of the stories are multi-part, and the list of creators is a definite who's who, with John Buscema dominating (YEEESSSS!). Here's what ya got:


The Amazing Spider-Man (1963) #62
The Amazing Spider-Man (1963) #86
The Cat (1972) #1
Fantastic Four (1961) #22
Fantastic Four (1961) #36
Marvel Feature (1971) #4
Ms. Marvel (1977) #1
Savage Tales (1971) #1
Shanna the She-Devil (1972) #1
Tales to Astonish (1959) #44
Thor (1966) #189
Thor (1966) #190


Last, but as they say - certainly not least - is Marvel's Greatest Superhero Battles (1978). Now how would you interpret that title? I'm thinking good guys fighting good guys. Well, that would only be half right. Inside you get the FF vs. the Hulk with the Avengers lending a hand, a fabulous battle-royal between Subby and Iron Man (interesting dichotomy of art, however, as Gene the Dean Colan began it and Kirby finished it), the always-awesome Silver Surfer #4 where the skyrider battles Thor in Asgard, and DD vs. Subby. The other three tales, however, are just the X-Men, Dr. Strange, and Spidey getting it on with some of their greatest foes. Oh well -- maybe it's something for everyone?


Here's the list of stories:


The Amazing Spider-Man (1963) #69
Daredevil (1964) #7
Fantastic Four (1961) #25
Fantastic Four (1961) #26
Silver Surfer (1968) #4
Strange Tales (1951) #139
Strange Tales (1951) #140
Strange Tales (1951) #141
Tales of Suspense (1959) #79
Tales of Suspense (1959) #80
Tales to Astonish (1959) #82
Uncanny X-Men (1963) #3



Oh, and did I mention that these books ranged in price from $5.95 to $6.95? Yeah, it was good to be a kid in the Bronze Age!!



See ya next time.