The Death of Captain Marvel

The Death of Captain Marvel (1982)
Written and illustrated by Jim Starlin

Karen: I'm reviewing this legendary story from my original graphic novel copy. I'm almost afraid to scan images from it, as it has become very worn and fragile from the many readings I've made of it. I guess it's time to buy a new one. But it would be worth it, as this is a story worthy of being read again and again. [Note: thankfully, Doug had a digital copy of this and so all images were provided by him, thus saving my poor old copy from any further damage!]
Doug: Digital copy? Did I just get thrown under the bootleg bus? Yikes! Hey, true confession time -- Karen's asked me to assist in making this one of our award-winning "partner reviews". I'm going to tell you right here and now that I am totally riding her coattails today. I had not read this story before last Friday! I know, I know... I never got around to buying this, and although I've been eyeballing the Marvel Premiere Classic hardcover (which contains the original story where Mar-Vell defeats Nitro and is exposed to the carcinogens) I've yet to pull the trigger.

Karen: In The Life and Art of Jim Starlin, Starlin says that he struggled with the plot for this book for some time, initially having Mar-Vell die in a stereotypically heroic fashion. However, Starlin's father had died of cancer about six months earlier, and that fact made its way into the story. He embraced the idea and delivered the plot to Marvel, and Jim Shooter loved it. So Starlin went ahead and got the book together. Interesting note: he broke a finger right as he was to begin inking the book. He wound up having to tape a pen in his hand in order to do the inking -and even so, he could only manage short strokes! The art does have a bit of a rough edge to it, but overall it's still spectacular.

Doug: This may seem like a weird comment, but I thought the art in this story exuded "'80's" art -- it sort of had a Giffen/LaRocque/Leonardi feel to it. None of those artists are bad, mind you, and at times this book was simply beautiful -- just an observation.
Karen: The story opens with Mar-Vell recording his autobiography, in hopes that his adventures may prove useful to others. It's a nice way to recap his past. Eros (better known as Starfox now) walks in on the Captain's recording session and remarks that he's a bit young to be writing a memoir. "Perhaps, but you never know..." Mar-Vell remarks.
Doug: As a relative novice to all-things-Starlin, I really felt welcomed by the ease of this story. It was certainly a heavy subject to deal with, but there were no barriers to my accessibility. This also was quite touching from the very start.

Karen: Mar-Vell, Eros, and Mentor, father of Eros and Thanos, have taken a spaceship out past Pluto where Thanos' space ark floats, lifeless. Mentor and Eros plan to return Thanos' petrified body to Titan. As the trio gaze upon his form, Mar-Vell realizes that the platform the mad titan stands upon was not there before. His cosmic senses alert him to the presence of others, aliens who attack the men. I was a bit amused how Mar-Vell spends a couple of pages during the fight laying out one attacker after another, all the while carrying on a philosophical monologue in his head. At the end of the fight, they discover that the aliens are the last remnants of Thanos' army -and they worship him, awaiting his resurrection. Mentor goes off on them, stating that his son was a psychopath who didn't give a damn about any of them. As they are scooted off the ship, Mar-Vell begins coughing violently. Mentor says he'd like to run a medical exam on him, but Mar-Vell ominously says that he believes it will only confirm was his cosmic awareness has already told him.

Doug: I appreciated the flashbacks throughout this story. The two-part epic that ran through Avengers Annual #7 and Marvel Two-In-One Annual #2 was a mind-blowing story at the time and really my only deep brush with Starlin's cosmic opera. The scene where Mar-Vell so matter-of-factly tells Mentor what is wrong with him, and that's it's terminal was such an example of courage and heroism. Here was a guy who'd faced down the reaper countless times, yet could so rationally discuss his impending doom.
Karen: Back on Titan, Mentor's devices confirm the truth that Mar-Vell has known for a few weeks: he has cancer. It's the result of a battle he had with a maniac called Nitro (back in Captain Marvel #34), when he had to seal a canister of nerve gas with his bare hands. The gas acted as a carcinogen. It's only due to his nega bands and their photonic energy that Mar-Vell didn't die sooner. The Titans have no cure for the disease. Mar-Vell seems to accept the situation, but Mentor is frustrated by it, particularly given that Mar-Vell and Elysiuis, who had once been his enemy, are now lovers. In a wordless segment, Mar-Vell tells Elysius of his condition. Starlin does a very nice job with expressing their emotions simply through their expressions and body language.

Doug: I could feel Starlin's thoughtfulness throughout the entire story. It really is more like a movie than a book. Camera angles and pacing, cuts from one scene to another, everything has a purpose.

Karen: Mar-Vell seeks out Rick Jones on Earth, fearing that their former symbiotic relationship might have allowed Rick to develop cancer too. Mar-Vell's acceptance of his eventual death angers Rick, who vows to find a way to stop it. Rick gathers a group of Avengers (Thor, Iron Man, Black Panther, Beast, Wonder Man, Vision, and Yellowjacket) and asks them to find a cure for his cancer. They all try to explain how difficult such a task would be, but Rick perceives this as a cop-out and storms off, saying that maybe they just don't want to face anything that they might not be able to beat. It leaves the men to ponder if they've used their abilities wisely.

Doug: I don't know how old Rick was supposed to be by this time, but he's played somewhat as the headstrong youth we've known since his days on the gamma test field. But it still seemed very much realistic -- perhaps because Rick was so in-character. Not everyone's reaction to such terrible news is low-key. Some people act out in anger. I thought this scene showed Starlin's real power as a storyteller. As you mentioned above, the scene between Mar-Vell and Elysius was done without words; this scene was filled with words. Each scene was comparatively emotional but at totally different levels. By the way, did you find it odd that Thor was along for the scientist-hall-of-fame ride? Are we to assume that he retained all of Dr. Don Blake's skill and knowledge while in his immortal form?Karen: The contrast between those two scenes is wonderful. As for Thor, he did sometimes exhibit medical know-how, although it does seem odd that he would retain that. Back on Titan, Mar-Vell has begun to show signs of his illness; there are circles around his eyes and a certain gauntness to his face. Although he says he has grown thin, he still looks pretty muscular as Starlin has drawn him. He's traded in his red and blue fighting togs for a life support vest. In a touching scene with Eros, Mar-Vell tells him that he's always known that Eros has cared for Elysius, and hopes he will be a friend to her after he is gone, because she's going to need it. As Mar-Vell walks away, an atypically quiet Eros fights back tears.

Doug: I agree with you as to Mar-Vell's appearance here (and to the end) -- if there was one complaint it's that Starlin left him a bit too hero-looking as we were told he was failing.
Karen: Mar-Vell has begun recording his memoirs in earnest. When he begins to discuss Elysius, a number of emotions wash over him; regret, sadness, and finally anger at the thought that they would have so little time together. Despite all of his triumphs, he's come to recognize that this is a battle he'll lose, and it's a hard thing for such a warrior to accept.

Karen: Meanwhile all of his super-hero friends, including the Avengers and Reed Richards and Dr. Strange, have continued to search for some cure. Unfortunately they are rebuffed at every turn by his nega bands. It seems that the photonic energy which has kept him alive throughout his illness is also somehow preventing his treatment. I thought this was a bit weak but of course there had to be a reason the greatest minds on Earth could not help him.

Doug: Again, a small criticism: I thought the nega-band thing was a bit of a cop-out and served to lead the reader to believe that if these Marvel eggheads hadn't had that as a road block, then they could have whipped Mar-Vell's cancer. Something about this just didn't sit right with me.
Karen: As the Captain grows weaker and becomes bed-ridden, the heroes of Earth -and beyond -all come to Titan to play tribute. There's a full page shot of a ton of heroes coming down stairs and just about anyone you can think of is there -Avengers, FF, X-Men, Defenders, Inhumans -heck, even Iron Fist and Power Man! The one glaring exception I thought was Ms. Marvel. Where was she? Or, was this at the time when she was without powers or her memory? That might have been the case.

Doug: If Galactus had been paying attention, this would have been a great time to try to feast on the Earth. Who was minding the store back on terra firma? Stories like this become time capsules, too, don't they? Check out the roll call, the costumes, etc. Etrigan the Demon, Kitty Pryde in her school uniform, Power Man and Iron First you mentioned...
Karen: Everyone wants to say good-bye and pay their respects. Mar-Vell keeps asking for Rick but he hasn't come. I felt the scene with The Thing and Spider-Man at Mar-Vell's bedside was especially well done. Ben is reminiscing about a fight with Mar-Vell when Spidey just becomes overwhelmed and has to leave. As Spidey flees the room, the Beast catches up with him and they have a talk. Who should arrive at that moment but Rick. When he sees Mar-Vell in bed he breaks down, sobbing at his side. Ben and the Torch clear out of the room and close the doors, telling everyone, "They're going to want to be alone for awhile."

Doug: The Spider-Man vignette further humanized this story.
Karen: Eventually things settle down and Mar-Vell receieves another set of visitors: Drax the Destroyer and Moondragon. Drax, who has died before (he was a rarity in comics back then) tells Mar-Vell that death really isn't all that bad, but the Kree warrior says he's in no hurry to find out. Drax then ushers in someone to see Mar-Vell: a hulking Skrull soldier named General Zedrao. In a strangely touching scene, the Skrull soldier explains that Mar-Vell has been the Empire's greatest enemy. "You are quite possibly the greatest warrior who ever walked the stars," he says, before presenting the ailing Kree-man with the Royal Skrull Medal of Valor. The general salutes and leaves, leaving everyone a bit stunned, except for Rick. The boy is furious that Mar-Vell's greatest enemies saw fit to honor him on his deathbed, but his own people have ignored him. Mar-Vell, ever the voice of reason, reminds Rick that he turned on his own people. But regardless, he doesn't care about medals, it's the friends he has with him now that matter. Shortly after this, the captain falls into a coma.

Doug: So at first I thought that maybe the Hulk was the one guy they had to get special clearance for when everyone landed on Titan; should I now assume that it was the Skrull general? I did enjoy this scene -- I thought it was one of the best tributes.

Karen: As the heroes gather around his bedside, pondering how unfair it all seems, down deep in the bowels of Titan, someone stirs. It is Thanos. Some part of him has returned, to face Mar-Vell one last time. Whether this occurs on some higher level of existence, or in Mar-Vell's unconscious mind, who can say? The mad Titan looms over Mar-Vell's bed, lamenting how weak he has become. He yanks off the sheets and demands that he rise. Suddenly, Mar-Vell is back in his red and blue suit, full of vigor. He tells Mar-Vell he has returned for one last great battle, at the heart of Mar-Vell's universe -which is depicted as a giant heart. The two go at it in a topsy-turvy world reminiscent of a Ditko Dr. Strange landscape. Old foes return to harass Mar-Vell, who punches them into pieces. All the while, Thanos rails on about forcing Mar-Vell to accept reality, to accept death. Life is finite, he tells the Captain. Finally, a purple-robed woman - Death - appears.

Doug: That we are left uncertain as to the reality of this scene was a triumphant poetry on Starlin's part.

Karen: Mar-Vell seems to accept that even he cannot escape death. Thanos tells him not to fear her. He replies that he doesn't, and he no longer needs her to be cloaked in illusion. With this he passes his hand over her face, revealing a skull. Mar-Vell and Death embrace as Thanos watches. Suddenly the huge beating heart stops. The threesome hold hands and turn to walk off towards a brilliant white light. On Titan, Mentor pulls a sheet over Mar-Vell's body and say, "He's gone."
Doug: This was as moving a comic book death as there has ever been. Gwen Stacy, Jean Grey, and Kara Zor-el come to mind as others that were done quite well. That Mar-Vell has stayed dead is a tribute to this story.

Karen: I can't really do this book justice. Even today, I find it very affecting. Despite all of his travels, his power, his glory, Mar-Vell dies like so many of us: from an illness. I think it was a brilliant idea, even if I hated to see the character go. But if Marvel was insistent on killing him off, they couldn't have received a better story. Our mortality weighs heavily on us; as we struggle to get through our lives, to accomplish things, enjoy ourselves, and be with those we love, death is always just out of view, hanging on the edges of our vision. We all have to face it, often many times over, as we lose those we love, and even lose our own lives. Starlin's portrayal of Mar-Vell's struggle to fight for his life, and then his final acceptance of his death, was perhaps the best anyone has ever done on the subject in mainstream comics.

Bronze Age Books -- Head's Up!

Doug: I'm always surfing around on Amazon.com for some trade paperback goodness, and lately I've spied a volume here or there that's caught my attention. A few weeks ago I also made a quick stop at our local Barnes & Noble and was excited to see a couple of books on the shelves of which I'd not previously heard. So today is just a public service announcement of sorts -- whether you want to make your Christmas list, or just spoil yourself, here are some great books to think about. You can do the price comparing on your own from your favorite retailer.

Doug: I'm juiced for the new series of Batman hardcovers. Recently I reviewed Batman #237 and used the Batman Illustrated by Neal Adams hardcover for the art scans. Now the Dark Knight's other 1970's artists are getting some love. Be on the look-out for:

Tales of the Batman: Gene Colan Volume I ($39.99 and shipped on August 23, 2011)

Legends of the Dark Knight: Marshall Rogers ($49.99 and ships on November 22, 2011)

Tales of the Batman: Don Newton ($39.99 and ships on December 20, 2011)

Legends of the Dark Knight: Jim Aparo Volume I ($29.99 and ships on April 10 2012)

The Batman Files ($100 and shipped on October 25, 2011) -- If you've not heard of this, it looks pretty cool. You can go to Amazon and see several interior pages. It's done up to the effect that it's a government or police dossier on all things Dark Knight. There are facsimile newspapers and magazines, blueprints, plans for the Batmobile, etc. It's a huge, faux-leather book; pricey yes, but discounted if you look around.

Doug: We love teenaged heroes around here. How about --

New Teen Titans: Games by Wolfman and Perez ($24.99 and shipped on September 27, 2011) -- This is an all-new graphic novel but of the Titans at the height of their popularity by their all-time great creative team.

The Legion of Super-Heroes: The Curse by Levitz and Giffen ($49.99 and shipped on October 25, 2011) -- I own the deluxe edition of "The Great Darkness Saga", and it's a really nice book -- huge! I'm sure this one will not disappoint, either.

Legion of Super-Heroes Archive Volume 13 ($59.99 and ships on March 27, 2012) -- As I'd said earlier, I'm stoked for this one. I have the first 12 volumes, and there's no sense in leaving a hole in the set.

Kamandi: The Last Boy on Earth Omnibus Volume I by Jack Kirby ($49.99 and shipped on October 4, 2011) -- I had a buddy who had a few issues of this when I was little, but I never had any. I will say that I found this whole concept a bit interesting when Kamandi guested in a Superman/Batman tpb I read.

Doug: Also from or about DC Comics --

The Jack Kirby Omnibus Volume I (featuring the King's version of Green Arrow, 1959-style!) ($49.99 and shipped on August 9, 2011) -- This is a Kirby DC collection I'd be inclined to check out.

Aquaman: Death of the Prince ($29.99 and shipped on July 5, 2011) -- Not an Aquaman fan, but the Aparo art alone makes this intriguing.

The Art of Joe Kubert ($39.99 and shipped on October 31, 2011) -- Master.

The Art of George Perez ($49.99 and ships on January 10, 2012) -- Ditto.

Doug: And what, you didn't think I'd been shopping for the House of Ideas??

Thor by Walter Simonson Omnibus ($125 and shipped on April 27, 2011)

The Spider-Man Vault - A Museum in a Book ($49.95 and shipped on October 4, 2011)

Doug: I'm sure there is plenty more Marvel stuff out there this season -- the Marvel Firsts: the 1970's volumes I and II come to mind, but it seemed to be the DC products that really caught my eye. Anyway, happy shopping! If you have a particular fave that I didn't mention, help a brother out and leave a comment.

Bracketology -- Heading to the 2nd Round!

Doug: Our readers are fantastic! You really embraced this topic -- one we weren't quite sure would stand up. Any time we venture into uncharted waters, there is always a bit of apprehension as to how we'll be received. Well, we have your answer and so we return a hearty "Thanks!" to you. With the group hug out of the way, let's move forward to the next round.

Doug: As we all watched over the past few days, we had one race that came right down to the end, with Superman: The Movie barely nudging aside the Treasury-style big books that Marvel and DC published. I thought one of the comments that asked what the legacy of Superman: The Movie was -- making Christopher Reeve a star? was a good one. But then, what was the legacy of the Treasuries? While they were great fun, 99% of the time they were just another format for reprints. Many of you commented that it's difficult to separate the significance of the event to history from the significance of the event to our history. Also a valid point. The Indie comics Elfquest and Cerebus the Aardvark got their fair share of love, but in the end the mainstream stuff won out. For me personally, I was never a fan of the independent comics. However, that was due mainly to not having a comic shop close by where I could see the books and/or get recommendations from store owners and other consumers -- I know many of those books were meritorious.

Doug: As I mentioned in a comment, the second round contains 16 "games". It will be best if we separate that into two groups of 8; hence, we'll spend the lion's share of this week in Round Two. That will be good, however, because it will keep our comments and questions a bit more focused, rather than having us trying to generate conversation on 16 (or even 32) different issues. So today we'll begin to accept comments on the top half of the bracket, and those match-ups have already been installed as polls on the sidebar to your left. The revised/updated bracket is pictured below, and is again in sections -- you'll have to make multiple clicks to see it all. We will get to the bottom half of it mid-week.

Doug: So thanks again -- really -- for your participation. You make this fun for us, and we enjoy this forum each and every day.

It's Veterans' Day: What If the Invaders Had Stayed Together After World War Two?

What If? #4 (August 1977)
"What If... the Invaders Had Stayed Together After World War Two?"
Roy Thomas-Frank Robbins/Frank Springer

Doug: Last year at this time we took a look at a futuristic morality play that involved three soldiers. Superstar artist Neal Adams rendered that tale; today's fare is admittedly a large step down artistically in my (our?) opinion. Anyway, we'll keep with the wartime/veteran/fight for truth, justice, and the American way theme of today: Armistice Day.

Karen: Today's book is a What If that really isn't a What If. The events in it are pretty much considered part of Marvel continuity now. On a text page inside, Roy Thomas explains that he'd always wanted to write about how there was a Captain America from 1945 to 1963 -just not the original, Steve Rogers. He'd tossed that idea off to new Cap writer Steve Englehart in the early 70s, and of course Englehart penned the classic story of 1950s, Commie-hating psycho Cap versus our own Cap. But Roy really wanted to look at what happened right at the end of WWII and just after. There was no place to put it though -since it depicted the end of the war, it couldn't be in Invaders. And Roy wasn't writing Cap. So -why not What If?

Doug: We open with a recap of the events of Avengers #56, sans the meddling Avengers (almost). In this tale, Cap and Bucky bust in on Baron Zemo, only to have to confront his giant android on their own. Eventually defeated, they are taken out of costume and clad in American GI uniforms. Strapped to a drone plane, Zemo prepares to launch it, programmed to land at a future point in front of Adolf Hitler. But, as those of you who read that famous Avengers story recall, the Captain America from our present couldn't resist one last attempt to change history and save Bucky. A phantom shield pierces the air, slicing the bonds of Steve Rogers. Free to assault Zemo, the drone is nonetheless started. In the same scene we've already witnessed, Steve and Bucky hop a motorcycle and advance after the plane. Bucky leaps onboard, followed closely by Steve. However, when it becomes evident that the plane is booby-trapped, Steve leaps away; Bucky pig-headedly stays on, and dies in the explosion.

Karen: Which is really where I wish they'd left it, although I have to admit to enjoying some of the Winter Soldier stories. But having a grown Bucky running around now just doesn't feel right.

Doug: We then get the obligatory introduction to our story from Uatu the Watcher. We get to see each of the Invaders in the twilight of World War II. We are told that Cap and Bucky went off to guard English supplies, but the Torches made their way toward Berlin. In the real world, our history tells us that Hitler committed suicide after shooting his new bride, Eva Braun; in Marvel reality the Human Torch and Toro found Hitler's bunker and burned their way inside. As Hitler reached for a detonator, the Torch set him ablaze. So it was not the death we've been led to believe...

Karen: The scene with Hitler was very interesting; I think it was the first time I saw a Torch, FF or Invader, actually set a normal human on fire. It was a bit disturbing.

Doug: I agree with you, and I guess it makes me wonder if the Invaders operated under a "lethal force" mandate or whatever. Certainly in all of the classic Alex Schomburg covers there was collateral damage as these heroes tore through Axis planes, ships, and tanks... I just have to stick an art interlude in here. It's finally set in with me -- Frank Robbins' figures and faces always look like people in the throes of starvation. Check it out: pronounced cheekbones, weird body contortions, deep-set eyes. It's taken me almost 40 years to put my finger on it, but that's what I'm going with. I'm not going to take a cheap shot at the guy by comparing him to this or that, but his style is so far away from what I like...

Karen: You know we are in full agreement when it comes to Robbins. The crazy expressions, the contorted bodies....well, not my cup of tea either.

Doug: After the Hitler death scene, Uatu gives us a look-see at the rest of the Invaders. Namor finished the War fighting in the Pacific theater, while Spitfire and Union Jack defended the British Isle. Once the fighting in Europe had almost ended, the remaining teammates were assembled in London and told that Cap and Bucky had not survived. Toro became belligerant, as they were told that bodies were never recovered. After the Torch got him settled down, orders were given that Namor and the Torches were to return to the States to meet with President Truman. Once there they were thanked for their service to the Allies, and then told that with the Japanese not yet surrendered it was essential that Captain America and Bucky live!

Doug: Entering the room are, amazingly, Captain America and Bucky -- or is it? Upon closer inspection, Namor deduces that Cap isn't Steve Rogers while the Torch states the obvious -- freckles and reddish/blond hair have "Bucky" looking more like Jimmy Olsen! Charades are soon dropped, and "Cap" reveals himself as the Spirit of '76, while "Bucky" is Fred Davis, last seen in the Liberty Legion story in Marvel Premiere #30. I guess desparate times left Harry S Truman grasping at straws, 'cause these dudes certainly weren't in the same league as the originals! After those introductions, the final surprises enter the room in the forms of the Whizzer and Miss America. What we have here, kids, is the All-Winners Squad!

Karen: I'm a bit surprised that the Invaders wouldn't have insisted on searching the area where Cap and Bucky were thought to have died. But even more surprising is the acceptance of these two replacements; let's be honest, neither would be up to the job. A hot-head like Namor would have certainly provided more objections. But, we need to get our story, rolling, so I guess we have to buy into this. Still -a bat-boy for Bucky? What the heck kind of sense does that make?

Doug: This new brand of Invaders gets right to work, shortly ending World War II in both theaters. They are there when General MacArthur receives Japan's surrender. In the months following, the All-Winners defeat some Commies and the first villain of the Atomic Age, Isbisa. But as 1946 arrived, the group began to drift. Namor wanted to return to Atlantis, and Bob and Madeline wanted some time away. That left the Torches to head to Boston, where Professor Horton lived.

Doug: We get a brief recap of the Human Torch's origin, and then our flaming friends land at Horton's doorstep. The good doctor greets them at the door, but looking drawn, emotionless. He's not himself, and as he nearly crushes Toro's hand while shaking it, the Torch flames on and attacks. Skin melts away to reveal some form of robot. The Torches are soon confronted by another android, calling himself Adam-II. He claims that he is Professor Horton's second android, and far superior to the Torch. He comes with some robot henchmen, but the Torches make pretty short work of them. However, you know there's always a water source when you least expect it, and the flames are doused. When imprisoned, they are of course tossed in a big empty water tank with Phineas Horton. But before a reunion can commence, Adam-II starts filling the place with water. A short-circuit sets off the fire alarm, but it's not Boston's bravest who show up. Instead, it's the Patriot!

Karen: So I guess this was the first time the Torch had returned to see Horton? He seems to have reached some sort of acceptance of his creator's acts. Adam-II reminded me far too much of the similar android, Andro (formerly the Doomsman), who appeared just two years earlier in Giant-Size Super-Villain Team-Up. They even look very similar, although Robbins was not the artist on that story.

Doug: Johnny-on-the-spot, the Patriot gets everyone out so they can dry off. But Horton's privy to Adam-II's plans, and knows that he plans to substitute another robot for a young congressional candidate in the area. So the Patriot and the Torches reunite with the rest of the All-Winners and set about finding this politician. Who do you think it is? Boston area, early 1950's? Yep -- Jack Kennedy. Cap and Bucky find him first, but it's not the real Kennedy -- it's the robot and Adam-II (hey, I cannot tell you all how many times I've wanted to type "Adam-12" while penning my part here). Here's the line of the book -- makes me totally think this was being done "Marvel style" and Robbins turned in a page that just handcuffed Roy.

Cap: "No! That's no human being -- but a robot! See its eyes! The irises are like some shiny silvery metal!"
Adam-II: "Blast! I neglected to add the proper ones in my haste!"

No... way.

Karen: Yeah, I had to flinch at that one too.

Doug: Cap and Bucky mix it up with Adam-II's hench-robots, but Cap flees to find a way to alert the others to find the real Kennedy. Staggering to the Old North Church, Cap heads for the belltower to signal, as Paul Revere was signaled. But you know one of those nasty ol' robots trails him and a melee ensues. Cap gets into a tussle, and sans the Super-Soldier serum is no match for the close-quarters strength of his attacker. This night, the States lost another Sentinel of Liberty. The remaining All-Winners do locate Kennedy, and as Adam-II moved to attack the young candidate himself, his blow was parried by... Captain America? Stunned, Adam-II leapt into a nearby auto, but crashed it soon after in a spectacular explosion that ended his "life". And the new Cap? None other than Jeff Mace, the Patriot -- attempting to honor two fallen heroes. And the rest is pseudo-history, as all What If's are.

Doug: Evaluation? I don't know. I want to like this story, I really do. I can't even really say that the Robbins art was out of place -- after all, for those of us who read the Invaders back in the '70's, it's what we had. But Roy Thomas' story sometimes smacks a bit of a DC Comic rather than his typically good Marvel output. The Adam-II costume is horrifically ugly (did you notice that Adam-II has red skin? Do you think Roy planned to do something with the Vision in that regard, perhaps? Of course, Adam-II was supposedly killed), and as I said seemed more fitting for a DC. I did like seeing the All-Winners Squad -- I love the retro. stories. But I'm just feeling this was a B-/C+. How about you?

Karen: I'm about in the same place as you. It's sort of a whirlwind of ideas -which can work sometimes, but also runs the risk of feeling over-stuffed. Three different Caps, WWII, androids, Kennedy....there's just so much going on. I like it but don't feel the execution was the best, certainly not the best of Roy's work. The Robbins art doesn't help matters. Enjoyable but disappointing -does that make sense?

How About Your Favorite Multi-Parter?

Doug: Two weeks ago we asked you for your favorite done-in-one tale. Today we're back for your recommendations on the best continued or multi-issue story. For the sake of defining that, let's say that it has to be a yarn that stretched over at least three books (I'll say books in case it's a more modern story that ran between different titles). You can choose any era, any company as long as the story was somewhat long. As we said last time, tell us what you like and why you like it, and if you have a runner-up then let us know why we, too, should be reading it. Thanks as always!

RIP Les Daniels

Karen: I just heard that writer Les Daniels, who wrote a number of top-notch reference books on comics, has passed away. I have his Marvel:Five Fabulous Decades and enjoyed reading it. I'm very sorry to hear of his demise.

Doug: Thanks, Karen -- I'd not heard this until I saw your post. A quick jump over to Wikipedia produced a list of the treasure trove of comic book literature Daniels produced. I've "bolded" the books I own, and must say that I am happy to have them. Indeed, he will be missed.

• Comix: A History of the Comic Book in America (1971)
• Living in Fear: A History of Horror in the Mass Media (1975)
• Marvel: Five Fabulous Decades of the World's Greatest Comics (1991)
• DC Comics: Sixty Years of the World’s Favorite Comic Book Heroes (1995)
• Superman, the Complete History: The Life and Times of the Man of Steel (1998)
• Superman: Masterpiece Edition (1999)
• The Complete History: The Life and Times of the Dark Knight Batman (1999)
• The Complete History: Wonder Woman (2000)
• The Golden Age of the Amazon Princess: Wonder Woman (2001)
• The Golden Age of DC Comics: 365 Days (2004)

Bracketology -- Bronze Age Babies-style!

Doug: Back Issue! #49 was a "1970's Time Capsule" edition. I recall several months ago when my pal Karen (who is a semi-regular BI! contributor) told me that editor Michael Eury had asked her to submit her ideas as to some of the hallmarks of the Bronze Age. I was excited to see the list when the magazine was published, yet dismayed at the format. It was my anticipation that any list would be not just a list, but a ranking of top Bronze Age happenings. Let's face it -- lists are fine for information, but everyone loves the controversy that rankings generate!

Doug: So, because we are a full-service blog, we decided to take the "Top 40" events that BI! published, bracket them a la the NCAA basketball tournaments, and have a long face-off. Here's our vision: Each week we'll try to have a round or partial round of throwdowns, update the brackets, and move on from there. If you scroll to the bottom of this post, you'll see the complete lay-out of the tournament. The display is in six parts, and was uploaded as .jpg files rather than as a Word document (because I don't think that's possible on Blogger).

Doug: How did we arrive at these brackets, you might ask? Quite simply, the BI! list was chronological. We took a 40-team blank bracket and just began plugging in events in reverse order. We took the last item on the list, which was the advent of the mini-series, and put it on the top half of the first play-in. Then we skipped to the top half of the next play-in, etc. until we got to the bottom. Then we started to move back up, but filling in the bottom line of each bracket. So by the time we got done, we'd looped the entire thing twice, which mixed up the time frame but still left some very interesting match-ups.

Doug: We will run a series of polls each week where you'll be able to vote on the match-ups. Basically, we'll ask you to choose between two events -- which was the most significant in the formation of the Bronze Age and beyond? In the event of a tie at poll's closing, either Karen or I will just flip a coin with the top half being heads and the bottom tails. When you see an event that was a tie move on, well then you'll know how it turned out. We'll also publish updates of the entire bracket so you can see the winners and losers as we move through. When we do that, those posts will also serve as your chance to justify your voting, criticize the entire process, and declare a recount if you're so inclined. And hey -- vote! Even our many readers who stop by daily and don't comment, let your opinion by known!

Doug: Hopefully this will be just another chance for us to get together in that back corner of the comic shop, hashing out what we like and don't like and the merits of all of these special happenings that have made this age we love our "best". Have fun!

Loving On Our Favorite Characters

Doug: I was reading the article on the death of the Flash in Back Issue! #48 the other day. In that story the writer was discussing the events of Crisis on Infinite Earths #'s 7 and 8 -- the deaths of Supergirl and the Flash, respectively. The author mentioned that fans of each character, for whom said character was their favorite, were quite upset about this chain of events. And that got me to thinking -- why would Supergirl or the Flash be anyone's favorite character? And who is my favorite character, and why do I like him/her over all others? For some folks, is a villain their one-and-only? Or maybe some second-stringer gets 'em all giddy?

Doug: So this weekend we're tossing this out to you, the faithful readers of this small repository of Bronze Age goodness: who's your favorite character, all-time, all-companies, and what is it about that character that you really, really like? I guess I should add in "when did you like them", as we've certainly seen the desecration of a host or two in recent years. Thanks for sharing!