Category Archives: 90s Marvel

90s Comics, 90s Marvel, Uncategorized

Hark the Heralds (part 2 of 6)

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I write this under the most dire of circumstances, Unspokenites…..I have a toothache. I know. I know. He’s so brave to still write this article for us, the fans. Well now, I’m no saint. (Or am I?) Anyway, enough about my dental woes. On to the next part of my look back at the second part of the “Herald Ordeal” storyline from “Silver Surfer” #’s 70-75. Enjoy as I type through my excruciating pain…..

The Silver Surfer clashes with the monstrous new Herald of Galactus, Morg! But fists are not thrown at this time. Not yet. The scuffle is short and only serves to aid the two cosmic beings as they feel each other out. Morg boasts how he has slain all who have stood before him since he was but a child. The Silver Surfer replies that Morg’s reputation pales in comparison to the atrocities that he himself has been forced to commit in Galactus’ name. The Surfer then uses Morg’s momentum against him to throw the larger creature and follows up the attack with a blast of the Power Cosmic from his hands! (Judo throw! Hiyah! Wow! Everybody was Kung Fu fighting! Come on and sing along, everybody!) Morg recovers quickly and meets the blast with one of his own from his battle axe! Galactus orders Morg to bring the Silver Surfer to him! Morg grabs the Surfer’s hands, pulls one behind his back, and locks it there in a hold as he forcefully takes the hero towards his former master!

The Surfer demands that Morg release him immediately and for the location of Nova. Galactus merely states that he has released her and that she is no longer his concern. (I’d be filing for unemployment if I was her! That was a wrongful firing!) He continues that the Surfer’s interference in his business will no longer be tolerated. His ship will remained cloaked from this moment onward to the cosmic hero’s senses. He then orders Morg to release him and to scout out yet another planet. He hungers. The ancient god takes his leave and the Surfer and Morg are once again at one another’s throats! They battle back and forth for a short time until Morg gets the upper hand, knocking the Silver Surfer unconscious with a mighty blast from his cosmic weapon!

He awakens sometime later, dazed. He has no idea how long he floated incapacitated in open space upon his board. He looks for his enemy but sees nothing but the empty void. Satisfied that he is now alone, the cosmic hero thinks about his situation. Obviously, Morg cannot be allowed to be Galactus’ new Herald. The creature is a bloodthirsty madman, now imbued with nearly unlimited power. No. This will not stand. But to defeat him, the Silver Surfer will need help. For this, he searches for and quickly locates another former Herald, Firelord! (Ooooh! It’s on now! The Silver Surfer’s getting his homies together for a galactic beatdown! Damn, son!) The Firelord is seemingly busy at the moment, as he battles countless armored foes all at the same time! When it appears as though he’s being defeated by their sheer numbers, the Surfer sends a cosmic blast their way, freeing the blazing humanoid!

At first, Firelord seems slightly annoyed that the Surfer would assume that he would require any aid. But when the army he was battling suddenly doubles with the arrival of reinforcements, he decides he wouldn’t mind a little help. As the two ex-Heralds fight side-by-side, Firelord asks the Silver Surfer why he’s come. The Surfer replies simply that he was looking for him. But why? They’ve never exactly been what you would call friends. That’s when Firelord is told the terrifying story of Morg. Firelord asks after Nova. The Surfer explains that her whereabouts are currently unknown. With the small army of armored creatures now defeated, the two powerful beings decide to locate Nova and then the three of them will confront this menace known as Morg! (Can we take a moment to discuss just how badass the name Firelord is? Discussion ended. Thank you for your time.)

Speaking of Morg the Merciless, Galactus calls out to his new Herald. Has he located a suitable world for him to devour? Morg answers that yes, he has. And there will be no resistance from the natives. That’s when Morg’s surroundings are revealed. Smoking ruins and mangled corpses surround him! This may just be the Silver Surfer’s biggest challenge to date. Luckily, it seems he won’t have to face it alone.

To be continued…..

90s Comics, 90s Marvel, Uncategorized

Hark the Heralds (part 1 of 6)

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Did you ever have a crush in elementary school and you were too afraid to tell the person yourself? Yep. Most of us did. So what did we do? We sent a messenger to look into the situation for us and act in our place. A wussy move, but hey, you do what you have to do when you’re shy as hell. We were a bit like Galactus when you think about it. Except he sent his Heralds (AKA messengers) to scout planets for him and act in his place until he saw fit to arrive. He’d then devour the planet’s life-force, killing all who lived upon it. You know, maybe this analogy isn’t as spot on as I originally thought. Sigh. Anyway, enjoy my look back at “Silver Surfer” #70…..

We begin our story in deepest space where the current Herald for the mighty Galactus, Nova, looks on at a beautiful planet consisting of millions of inhabitants. They are completely unaware that she is near, let alone what her true purpose for visiting is. She is a servant of death itself. A harbinger of doom for entire civilizations. After she locates a planet that fits Galactus’ criteria, the very life of the world is consumed by the Devourer, leaving utter destruction and then horrifying silence in his wake! The death count of this so-called god is incalculable. As Nova looks down upon this peaceful planet, she feels extreme guilt. She is loyal to her master, but she can do this no longer. Nova speeds off towards Galactus’ space vessel. (I need to get me one of these Heralds. They could locate the best restaurants for me to feed my undying hunger for artery-clogging awesomeness! Damn. I’m hungry now. I shall return after making a snack.)

(I’m back. You know, I do believe that some granola bars are tools of the Devil, created from chopped up pieces of cork and plywood. Yummy. Must talk to Mrs. Symbifan about purchasing unhealthier snacks for me in the future.) Nova enters the enormous spacecraft of Galactus. He doesn’t look up from his many monitor screens as he asks the inevitable question: “Have you found a suitable world from which I will feed my insatiable hunger?” Nova lies as she tells her master that she has found no such place as of yet. The god does look up then. He calls his Herald a liar! He’s been watching her every move for quite some time and knows how false her claim is. The Devourer of Worlds continues that he will now consume this world that she so wishes to spare. Nova cries out in protest, but the ancient god will have none of it. He traps her in an energy construct and prepares to enter the planet’s atmosphere himself!

When Galactus arrives upon the planet’s surface, Nova is forced to float next to him, helpless to do anything but watch the coming annihilation. As the Devourer readies himself to feed, he scolds his Herald with furious rage. That is until one of this world’s denizens, a muscle-bound savage carrying a double-bladed battle axe, roars a challenge up at the already annoyed god! Surprisingly, Galactus hears the insects cry and looks down upon him, interested. Galactus asks this fearless being’s name. He yells back that he is Morg, court executioner, and he fears no-one! Would this Morg be so brave if he knew that his homeworld was about to be obliterated? Yes! If that is his planet’s fate, then so be it. He cares nothing for his people or his world. His only concern is for himself! Intrigued, the ancient god seizes Morg, sparing his life as he begins the feeding process! In no time at all, the planet is reduced to no more than rubble as Nova cries out in horror! (Mmmm. Nothing like a good planet to feel truly full. Do you think there are fattening worlds out there that go straight to Galactus’ godlike thighs?)

Shortly, back on Galactus’ ship, the Devourer turns to his distraught Herald and tells her that she is free! He wants her to leave his presence immediately! Nova is shocked beyond words! How is this possible? Has she not always been loyal? And now he means to simply throw her away? (Breakups are haaaaard. I bet she spies on his Facebook page constantly.) She asks her former master, what will he do without a Herald to find him world’s suitable for his hunger? Galactus replies that he has made many mistakes in the past with his choosing of Heralds. They all had their flaws. No more. He has found the perfect being to aid him. He reveals Morg, encased in energy! Nova cries out in alarm! Surely he can’t be serious! One final time, the god orders Nova to leave. Sadly, she finally does so. Galactus asks Morg if he will be his next Herald. The creature agrees without pause! Morg is then imbued with the Power Cosmic and a deadly new Herald is born!

Mere moments later, the Silver Surfer flies into Galactus’ ship. He means to talk to Nova about her growing empathy and conscience. Turning, he sees the ancient god and asks her whereabouts. Galactus replies that she is gone and she will not be returning. The Surfer is shocked! Has the Devourer lost his mind? Nova may have had her doubts as of late, but her loyalty was beyond question. Galactus warns the Surfer that his insolence will not be tolerated. Anyway, he now has a new Herald that’s more to his liking. Out steps the transformed Morg the Executioner! Without hesitation, Galactus orders Morg to remove this pest! Morg smiles as he happily follows his new master’s orders!

To be continued…..

90s Comics, 90s Marvel, Uncategorized

Dark Liaisons (part 4 of 4)

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Greetings and salutations, Legions of the Unspoken! Your loyal Symbifan has returned as promised and with the final part of my look back at one of my favorite storylines from the 90’s, “Spirits of Venom”! (This exciting finale was originally published in “Spirits of Vengeance” #6) As we begin, I must ask you all a very serious question: Have you ever wanted to see the inside of Venom’s fanged and drooling mouth? No? Too bad! Hahaha!

(Don’t say I didn’t warn you. Ugh! You just know he has an alien form of gingivitis in there.) Venom roars at Ghost Rider in rage! How dare he aid Spider-Man in escaping his grasp? Now the Spirit of Vengeance will suffer in the wall-crawler’s place! Venom leaps at the Rider, ready to tear him to shreds! Ghost Rider attempts to speak reasonably to the symbiotic villain. Spider-Man was helping the innocent people be free of the evil minions of Deathwatch. And doesn’t Venom often preach about saving innocents? This only added to Venom’s anger! The Rider knew nothing of him and what the Spider did to him! Venom then uses his superior strength to toss Ghost Rider across the sewers tunnel and into a concrete wall! He then picks up the Rider’s fallen chain and lunges!

Venom pins Ghost Rider to the ground, forcing the supernatural chain into his mouth and tightening it! This effectively traps the Spirit of Vengeance underneath the drooling symbiote! As Venom roars curses, Ghost Rider has had enough! He unleashes the most feared of his powers, the Penance Stare! By peering into an enemy’s eyes, the Rider can force them to feel all of the pain that they’ve inflicted upon others! Most scream in absolute terror at this disturbing skill. (I want this power! Except I want others to feel my utter annoyance. I would punish all who work at my local Walmart! Self checkout, be damned!) But what’s this? Something’s wrong. A type of unknown feedback harms both Venom and the hellish Rider! An explosion of mystical fire hurls Venom away and rocks Ghost Rider’s body!

Venom, though still reeling from the blast, pulls himself to his feet first. Ghost Rider lies very still. He seems unconscious. Venom, angered at the pain he just felt, approaches to finish his foe! But as he moves to do so, he suddenly finds a hellfire shotgun pressed to the back of his skull! Blaze won’t allow the murder of his partner. But the symbiote sends a tendril backwards, blocking the trigger from being pulled! As Venom laughs, sure of his victory, Blaze instead slams a long blade into Venom’s shoulder! Blaze is backhanded some distance for this outrage! But before any of the three can continue their brawl, the very ground seems to swallow them as the eerie Deathspawn pull them downwards! (Anyone else sick of these Deathspawn interrupting the superhero fights in this story? These guys are more annoying than Girl Scouts when it’s that time of year to sell their damn cookies. Making me feel all guilty as I walk on by. What was I talking about? Not sure, but I suddenly crave cookies.)

Aboveground, Spider-Man has contacted the authorities to take the unconscious Hobgoblin into custody. As an armored Guardsman lands and cuffs the goblin, Spidey also reports that Venom is free at this very moment right beneath their feet. In fact, this is where he himself must return. He has to help his allies. The Guardsman gets on his radio and orders a containment squad for Venom just as the web-slinger disappears back into the dark and murky sewers. Johnny Blaze, Ghost Rider, and Venom are trapped, held against their will by two of Deathwatch’s main goons, Hag and Troll! This evil twosome were even more powerful than the numerous Deathspawn! (So important to the storyline, that I completely forgot that they even existed until just now. But hey, it’s not like I wrote three whole articles, not even mentioning them. Pardon my nervous laugh…..heehee.) It seems that the trio will be used as offerings to Deathwatch when he arises from the land of the dead! Just as Blaze scoffs at this plan, the Deathspawn suddenly enter Deathwatch’s still form! He then sits straight up and turns his gaze to the captives!

As Hag and Troll egg on their dark master, Deathwatch slowly reaches for Johnny Blaze! He will feed upon his life-force and be whole once more! But just before his fingertips touch Blaze’s cheek, a strand of webbing pulls Deathwatch’s hand away. Everyone present looks and they see Spider-Man standing there, Blaze’s hellfire shotgun held at the ready! Hag and Troll ignore Spidey as he warns them with the weapon as they rush him! For a moment, Spider-Man contemplates actually using the enchanted gun. But instead, he throws it to its owner. Blaze uses it to free Ghost Rider and himself. (Look at Spidey in the pic above! Who knew that the web-slinger could look so gangsta?!) As Ghost Rider tackles Deathwatch, Blaze aims the weapon towards Spider-Man and his two attackers. He can’t fire or he’ll hit the hero for sure! That’s when inspiration hits. He looks to the captive Venom. He would go through anyone to make it to his arch-nemesis. Blaze hopes he won’t live to regret this. He frees the symbiote!

Venom wastes zero time in swinging towards his hated enemy! And as predicted, he does in fact tear through Hag, Troll, and numerous Deathspawn to try and reach Spider-Man! At that moment, the Deathspawn try to flee Deathwatch’s battered form! This cannot be allowed, or this madness will start over again! No. They must be contained! Ghost Rider encircles the villain with his chain as Blaze ignites it with a hellfire blast! The result is a type of cage, keeping the Deathspawn from escaping! Seeing their beloved master fall, Hag and Troll try to flee! But Johnny Blaze expected this. He knocks both to the ground, holding them at gunpoint! (Wow! No wonder I forgot Hag and Troll until now. They were beyond pointless to the story. Yeah. I’ll keep telling myself that. No screw up here, folks…..) Badly weakened, the creatures begin to fall one by one. It all seems to be over until Spider-Man hears a familiar growl coming from behind him. Venom won’t be denied his prize!

But before Venom can spring, a blast from a sonic disruptor rifle knocks him back! Countless armored Guardsmen enter the sewers and begin taking control of the situation. Venom is quickly contained. Demogoblin is found lurking about elsewhere in the sewers and is captured as well. Doppelganger was never located. (Seriously! The writer just completely forgot about him!) As for Hag, Troll, and Deathwatch, they are taken prisoner by Blaze and Ghost Rider to be deliver to the mystic, Dr. Strange. Spider-Man thanks the two as they mount their bikes. But all three of the heroes know that as long as evil runs rampant, this will hardly be their last meeting.

End.

Dedicated to my beloved Renee for our seventeenth anniversary. I have always and will always love you. Thank you for making this big comic book nerd’s heart feel whole.