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90s Comics, 90s Marvel, Uncategorized

“Okay, Axis, here we come!” (Part 4 of 4)

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Here we are, folks! The epic finale of the 4-part “Invaders” miniseries! And boy, this series of articles has been a real treat for me to write! I’ve been fascinated by Golden Age superheroes and villains for years and this was an awesome opportunity. Talk about an amazing time to be alive! So many real life heroes and the emergence of real evil in that time period. So, before we begin this story, take a moment to remember your loved ones that fought in this horrific war and be proud of the bravery that they possessed. For they truly were the greatest generation. (Now, as the great sage, Forrest Gump, would say, “That’s all I have to say about that.”)

The villainous Battle-Axis gloat over the mighty Invaders as they are all encased within giant transparent prison cells! Dr. Death muses how America will soon be out of the second World War permanently! The Blazing Skull threatens the Nazi but Captain America calms him. Right now, the bad guys hold all of the cards. The Human Torch demands answers from the Vision. Why would he turn his back on humanity? Did he not realize that if the Nazis win the war, that’ll be the end of life on Earth as they know it? Evil will triumph! Vision merely states that he just wants to return to his home dimension and that life will continue on this planet regardless of his intervention. Cap interrupts. He can almost understand Vision’s point. He isn’t even from here. But the Golem! He’s a Jew! How could he betray his people in such a way? Golem answers that he knows that Dr. Death will most likely not release his brother after he has served him, but he must cling on to this small shred of hope. (Sad. I really feel for the guy. Mostly because he now has to now live in a body constructed of friggin’ clay permanently. I mean, why not adamantium? This is the Marvel Universe for cripes sake! Get inventive, people!)

The Silver Scorpion asks Dr. Death more about his fiendish plan to cause massive earthquakes with the oscillotron that will separate America’s west coast from the rest of the country. He continues though, caught up in his impending victory, and states that this part of the plan is only a trigger for the actual attack! The earthquakes will release poison gas from countless cannisters that were buried near the end of the last World War! This gas will cover thousands of square miles and claim countless lives! The Axis Powers will then be free to destroy Russia without the United States’ interference! To say that the Invaders are appalled and disgusted would be an understatement! But they aren’t alone. Dr. Death’s own men question this next phase of the plan! Surely he isn’t serious! (Man, you know you’re evil when even your minions question if you’re really sure about enacting your sinister scheme!) The Invaders try to escape their individual prisons, but are gassed for this escape attempt. As they sink into slumber, the android hero, the Human Torch, remains conscious! He begins to melt through his cell walls!

He doesn’t get far, however. Sadly, he’s caught by Volton and pummeled until he too is unconscious. Vision then freezes him as he is commanded. Dr. Death continues by ordering Strongman to carry the large doomsday device with them as Volton and Golem remain behind to guard the prisoners. Later, the villains enter a different subterranean chamber. Strongman positions the oscillotron as instructed as Dr. Death checks on Golem’s brother’s work. Johann pleads with the Nazi to not go through with this plan. Of course, this falls upon deaf ears. Dr. Death even adds insult to injury by telling the Jewish scientist that his brother is serving him as the Golem and it’s for his continued safety! Johann is shocked beyond reason! This obvious internal agony pleases the evil Doctor. (I wonder how many years of college are required to become an evil doctor? Asking for a friend…..) Meanwhile, as Volton taunts the awakening heroes, Captain America reveals to the Nazi what he suspects. Volton is in fact an android! Volton is amused and asks for proof. Cap asks why he isn’t burnt from his scuffle with the Human Torch? Why is he the only one who can’t remember his past? Also, remember that this Dr. Death once helped create the robotic Human Torch. He could easily have done so again!

Suddenly enraged, Volton smashes his fist through the Captain’s tube! Cap nods towards Volton’s fist. No blood from the glass! The Blazing Skull chimes in by asking if Volton remembers ever bleeding? Now furious and determined to prove these “fools” wrong, the Nazi takes a large shard of broken glass from the floor and rams it straight through the hand in question! Not one drop of blood! (I knew it from the very beginning! Okay, maybe I didn’t know positively that he was an android, but I suspected he was at least colorblind. I mean, look at his costume! Ugh!). As he marvels at this, Captain America strikes from the hole in his prison wall and connects with a mighty punch! As the villain staggers, Cap emerges, free from his translucent prison! But the Nazi uses his powers over electricity to shock the hero again and again as he stumbles towards his nearby shield! He throws the weapon but Volton dodges easily! The shield sails through the air, smashing through the rest of the Invaders’ cells! Captain America then jumps and kicks the distracted Nazi in the head, knocking him down! When the villain shakes off the stars he’s seeing, he beholds all of the Invaders standing over him! He tries to rise and attack, but Silver Scorpion’s stinger blasts put Volton down for the count! Now for the treacherous Golem…..

But the Golem raises a dismissive hand. He wishes not to fight the heroes. In fact, he’s pondered their words and decided that he will fight at their side! He leads them to where the lab is. At that moment, Golem’s brother has also had a change of heart it seems! Roaring that he will not work for Hitler, no matter the peril, he strikes at the Nazi scientists near him with his bare fists! He then flees the room! Unfortunately for him though, several shots ring out! Nearby, in another room, Dr. Death and his Battle-Axis have heard the gunfire and decided to ignore it. Dr. Death reaches for the lever to activate the oscillotron, but a sudden blast of flame stops him! In flies the Human Torch, followed by the rest of the Invaders! Dr. Death orders his team to attack and Captain America let’s the heroes’ battle cry sound! Both sides clash! In the mighty scuffle, the evil Doctor slips free and runs towards the device to start it! But a wounded Johann lunges at him to stop him! The scientist is shot dead by Sky Shark’s pistol! (Murdered by a dude with a damn fin on his head. No-one deserves to go out like that. Nobody. Sniff…..sob…..)

The Golem sees this through the titanic battle and roars as he tears through the Nazi soldiers in the room as if they’re no more than flimsy rag dolls! Vision hovers over all of this chaos, unmoving, but in deep thought. Dr. Death makes a run for the oscillotron once again and, though Captain America drops him with his thrown shield to the back, manages to start the machine! The madman turns to gloat, but is electrocuted by the flying Volton as he enters the room! Dr. Death is no more! The android then turns his attention to Cap, but the Torch intervenes with a strike in mid-flight! Elsewhere, Silver Scorpion uses her armor’s augmented strength to uppercut Strongman, knocking him stumbling to the floor! Namor flies over the others towards Cap. The Captain asks if even the Sub-Mariner could survive the backlash from destroying the oscillotron. Only one way to find out! The Avenging Son crashes through the enormous machine, creating a large explosion that rocks all involved to their very core! Silence fills the smoke-filled laboratory. (Damn! That was heroic as hell! Cheers to Namor for saving the day as he became no more than stinky, burnt chum. Too soon?)

But the Sub-Mariner did survive! He walked through the smoke, ready to continue the fight against the Battle-Axis! Too late. The villains quickly surrendered. That now taken care of, the heroes wonder if any of the poisonous gas was released in the tremors. Vision answers this question. It was! He points toward a large, leaking pipe! But before anyone can act, the Vision orders everyone to stay back. The smoke from the exploded machine has made it possible for him to create a portal home. He quickly flys in, taking the deadly gas with him! He then seals the mystical door behind himself! (Where’s he when I eat dairy? Hiding I bet. Coward!) Later, the Invaders crawl from a hidden passageway beneath the desert sands, emerging into the clear air. They had won this day not only for America, but for the world.

End.

90s Comics, 90s Marvel, Uncategorized

“Okay, Axis, here we come!” (Part 2 of 4)

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Welcome back to the dangerous days of the second World War…..but in the 90’s. That’s right. This is a story that would most likely take place before Marvel Comics was even called Marvel Comics…..only it is called that. You know, I’m just confusing myself here and run the risk of taking you Unspokenites down with me. Let’s just return to the story. (Sheesh!) I bring you “Invaders” #2…..

A nearly unconscious and severely beaten Miss America crashes through the window in the meeting room of the Liberty Legion! Shocked, Captain America leaps to action and stops her impact on the hard wood floor with his muscled frame. The other Invaders and the Thin Man kneel down to check on their comrade. The Thin Man recalls aloud that he thought she had been on a date this night with the Whizzer. Her love’s codename spoken aloud awakens Miss America and she demands to know his whereabouts! Cap manages to calm her, asking what had happened. She replies that five superpowered Nazis took the Whizzer captive and nearly killed her! In fact, they only let her be because they thought that they had! The Human Torch suggests that she rest while they look into the matter. Not to be denied her vengeance, Miss America finds a stone sculpture of Captain America’s head nearby and crushes it with a single blow! She won’t be left behind! (A simple, “Nah. I’m good, guys,” would be way too simple at this juncture it seems. Women. Am I right?)

The Thin Man suggests that he stay behind and find other heroes to help out. And though this hurts Namor’s pride to ask for aid, Captain America tells the Atlantean King that he feels they’re going to need all of the help they can get this time. Within moments, the Invaders are speeding away within Namor’s high-tech plane as the Thin Man wishes them his best. Meanwhile, over the Hollywoodland sign, a strange and ominous fog descends. Two police officers, out on their nightly patrol, spot this occurrence and slow to a stop in their squad car. They’re horrified as they witness a large, black balloon emerge from within the fog! A rope drops but no-one slides down. Instead, the officers hear a feminine voice from behind! It’s the Spider Queen! As she keeps the two entranced, Volton lands and electrifies both lawmen until their flesh blackens! (Yep. Crispy as KFC I’d reckon too. Damn. That sounds good now!) The other Nazis emerge now with a new ally, the dreaded Sky Shark! They carry a drugged Whizzer with them as yet another man descends the rope ladder. Dr. Death refers to this man as their “ace-in-the-hole”!

Elsewhere, Namor and the Human Torch land at their destination. They seek to give an ally, a Dr. Jacob Goldstein, sanctuary until this attack blew over with the Battle-Axis. Goldstein had once sent a set of armor he’d designed against the Invaders against his will and joined them when they’d given their word to liberate his brother from Nazi clutches. As it turned out, the heroes hardly had to intervene at all as the doctor had transformed himself into a hulking Golem, straight from Jewish folklore, and nearly saved his sibling alone! The two superheroes knock but the door creaks open! Peering inside with the Torch’s firey light, the duo spy Dr. Death and Goldstein together! The evil Nazi leader then orders Goldstein to attack! Begrudgingly, he obeys as he transforms into the clay behemoth, the Golem, once more! The two Invaders fight valiantly, but the creature’s sheer strength is too much in the end! Both lie injured and unconscious in the now flaming residence! Dr. Death orders the Golem to take the Human Torch and to leave the King of Atlantis to die in the fire! The Golem follows orders and Namor is left to perish! (And he didn’t want help! Oh, how the mighty have fallen! Am I actually siding with Nazis on even a marginal level?! Bad narrator! Bad!)

The Sub-Mariner tries his best to crawl through the burning wreckage, but now deeply dehydrated, he finds his enhanced strength completely gone. He almost collapses for good until a gloved hand catches him. Looking for the face of his savior, Namor sees a flaming skull staring back at him instead! (No. It’s not Ghost Rider. This is a Golden Age comic story, written in the 1990’s, and now brought to you in the year 2025. Damn! Got confused again.) Seeing the confusion upon the Atlantean’s face, the hero introduces himself as the Blazing Skull. He then picks up Namor over one shoulder and races from the burning home. Once outside, he states that the Thin Man sent him. He then asks if Namor needs further help. Instead, the aquatic hero looks to a tall water tower and smashes his fists into its wooden legs. It comes crashing down, drenching Namor in life-saving water! The Sub-Mariner roars that he’s now ready to go rescue the Human Torch and woe to any Nazi that’s holding him prisoner!

On their own mission, Miss America flies up to a high window at UCLA’s college campus with Captain America held in her powerful arms. Spying inside, they see three corpses and three of the members of Battle-Axis standing over them! The one known as Strongman holds an enormous high-tech device over his head. They call it an oscillotron and claim that it’s needed for their leader’s sinister scheme. Hearing enough, Cap and Miss America leap through the overhead window and straight into battle! But once again, the heroes are bested by the villainous Battle-Axis! But as they move in for the kill, they’re stopped by a woman clad in silver armor and a large handgun aimed at them! She calls herself the Silver Scorpion and warns not to cross her or they’ll feel the sting of her ray gun! The villains notice the blonde, female “corpse” is missing from their feet! Unimpressed, Spider Queen throws a web at the gun and pulls it from the Silver Scorpion’s hand! She aims it at the armored heroine but soon sees that she’s been fooled. This was no more than a strangly -shaped glue gun! (I’m constantly tricked into thinking long, cardboard tubing is in fact a cool lightsaber. I’m also extremely immature for my age.)

There’s a slight skirmish before Battle-Axis decides that they’re wasting too much time. They have memorized enough of the device’s inner workings to help their leader, so they destroy their ill-gotten prize and make a hasty escape, destroying the room’s foundations on the way out! Unable to give chase, Captain America and Miss America turn to their new ally. But the Silver Scorpion is already checking the others bodies. No hope. They’re gone. She tells how one was the designer of the oscillotron and her armor. The other was the man she loved. She was called this night to be on high alert from the Thin Man. Too little, too late it seems now. The two superheroes thank her and give their condolences before they turn to leave. But the Silver Scorpion won’t be left behind so easily. She wants revenge and while she was thought to be dead, overheard Battle-Axis’ next destination! Begrudgingly, she is allowed to join the heroes. (Blackmail is an excellent basis for a great, lasting partnership.)

To be continued……

And remember to plant a victory garden! (Hmmm? Oh, just Google it!)

90s Comics, 90s Indy, 90s Marvel, Uncategorized

Ultraverse: Ragnarok

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Hello, Legions of the Unspoken!  It’s been a bit since Ol’ Dean Compton has been able to celebrate the greatness of 90’s comics with y’all, but life has been getting in the way.  Hopefully things are starting to calm down and I can get here a lot more often.

One thing that doesn’t seem to be calming down anytime soon is the public’s hunger for superhero movies, especially Marvel movies.  The Cinematic Universe has excited the public in a way that very few other movie franchises seem to be doing these days.  Black Panther has taken the world by storm, and it’s very, very good!  The movie that preceded it, though, Thor: Ragnarok, had a very neato tidbit that’d get a 90’s comic book fan as excited as a puppy in a dog park.

One of the most beloved of the many universes, and maybe the most beloved, that popped up in the 90’s was the Ultraverse.  Malibu’s big swing for the fences wound up coming up short, but for a while prior to the Marvel purchase, the little company that could on the left coast was spitting out fascinating ideas faster than seeds at a watermelon eating contest.  One of those ideas seems to have shown up in Thor:  Ragnarok, and her name is Topaz.

 

topaz

While this Topaz looks decidedly different from the Ultraverse’s Topaz, the similarities are fairly shocking and vastly outweigh the differences.

topaz2
Yeah, the similarities don’t just jump out at you when you look at two pictures next to each other.

Topaz was an integral member of UltraForce who used a power staff to keep her enemies in line.  She is a warrior-queen from a matriarchal realm, and she’s pretty female supremacist.  Now I know that’s gonna float some boats for some fellas reading this, but it was also fun watching her attempt to learn how to integrate into a male-dominated society in UltraForce.  She used a power staff to deal with threats, and she got caught up in a big cosmic scuffle featuring The Avengers, Thor, and…The Grandmaster.  Sound like the Topaz from the movie a little.  TRY A LOT.

UltraForce & Avengers 01_au-01-00
Loki on this cover looks like a kid who just figured out how to steal some cookies without his parents knowing.

UltraForce & Avengers 02_ua-01-00
Loki being involved in this shindig with the Grandmaster, UltraForce, and the Avengers just further cements my belief that this Topaz is indeed the Topaz in Thor:  Ragnarok.   Also, these covers are awesome, but confusing.  They’re nowhere near as confusing as the actual story though, which is fucking saying something, amirite?

Topaz is one of the central characters in the UltraForce/Avengers crossover, which has a lot of dealings with The Grandmaster.  Sound familiar?  In the movie, she’s the right-hand woman of the Grandmaster, and she fights Thor.  In the UltraForce/Avengers crossover, she teams with Siren to take on Crystal and Black Widow as part of the game between Grandmaster and Loki.  There’s never a huge Avengers vs. UltraForce showdown, as the crossover mostly follows the “heroes meet, fight, realize they are on the same side/being manipulated, team up against the threat, and then look really cool doing it” template.

 

UltraForce & Avengers 02_ua-01-34
George Perez is the fucking man.

But the really important thing about Topaz right now isn’t her history, although as I said, she’s fun in UltraForce, and her debut in Giant-Size Mantra #1 is pretty awesome too.  It’s the fact that Ultraverse fans like myself have been waiting for Marvel and Disney to do something with this dormant universe for way too long.  The Ultraverse was full of fantastic ideas and amazing characters, and it was created by a group of some of the best writers in comic books.  The universe was shepherded well by Chris Ulm, Tom Mason, Dave Olbrich, and Scott Mitchell Rosenberg so that everything felt important and needed.  You never knew when something small would happen and it would balloon into something huge.  Until the Valiant relaunch, it was easily the best universe created since the Marvel Universe.

For about 20 years, Ultraverse fans waited and waited for any sign of life from the Ultraverse.  There would be rumors, rumors of rumors, and Joe Quesada flat out saying that these characters would never see the light of day again.  Ultraverse fans like myself finally have a ray of hope with Topaz showing up in this movie.  Will Prime return?  Hardcase?  Firearm?  The Solution?  Will they get their own comics back?  Maybe a Netflix show?  I know the 90’s kids who loved The Strangers and Sludge sure hope so!  Here’s to seeing a lot more Ultraverse characters in the comics, on TV, and in the Marvel Cinematic Universe very, very soon!