RIP: Tom Palmer

Tom Palmer died on August 18th.

Palmer is going to be best-remembered as an inker and he was absolutely one of the best - a legend, one who kept working up to the end, covering more than 50 years of quality output. He was also an occasional painter and colorist. I think I first saw his work on Marvel's Star Wars where he inked Ron Frenz (and painted some beautiful covers). I also found his work on Tomb of Dracula, inking Gene Colan, which was like night and day; Colan was extremely stylish compared to Frenz's realism but Palmer made both men look good; he's frequently been called Colan's best inker for their work together on Tomb of Dracula and Doctor Strange.

But I'll remember Palmer best for the Avengers. He was for me the definitive Avengers inker, covering everyone from John Buscema to Neal Adams, Paul Ryan to Steve Epting. It didn't always pan out - he inked Mike Deodato on Avengers but Deodato penciled in a wild, loose style that Palmer couldn't seem to tame (I'm not sure if he ever inked Deodato in later years when Deodato adopted an ultra-realistic style).

Palmer was said to be an overpowering inker but that's why I liked him on the Avengers - he brought consistency to the book through some tumultuous times. I saw Epting's work for the first time when Palmer was inking him on Avengers and it made me a lifelong fan of Epting's style - basically because I thought Palmer made him look like John Buscema.

The Buscema/Palmer issues of Avengers are particularly special to me, including the notable "Mansion Siege" storyline (Avengers #273-277).

Palmer was one of the best-known inkers in the business; he leaves behind a terrific legacy of quality work. Rest in peace, Mr. Palmer.

RIP: George Perez

Three days ago, comic book artist George Perez died at age 67; it was an event the comics industry had braced itself for since he announced he was suffering from pancreatic cancer. There was a great outpouring of love from fans and professionals which I'm sure helped comfort him in his last days.

I wish I could say I was a bigger fan of Perez's work - I like his work, but I sensed long ago that I didn't rank him as high as many other comic book fans did. That became most apparent when he returned to the Avengers in 1998 - I thought the book was too nostalgic and backward-looking at the time (looking back, Perez's final Avengers story - the miserable "Nefaria Protocols" crossover - was not exiting on a peak).

For me, the high point of his work was Crisis on Infinite Earths, the 12-issue mini-series that represented (or, rather, was supposed to present) the demise of the original DC Universe and was such a landmark that the history of DC super-heroes is impossible to relate without saying "pre-Crisis" and "post-Crisis" somewhere.

I suppose what I loved was the level of detail he put into his work, especially the mobs of people he drew - not just when he packed the pages full of super heroes and super villains - even mobs of normal people put effort into supplying distinctive faces. But yes, those mobs of costumed characters were a highlight because he could render them appropriately - it didn't matter whether it was Batman or Ultra the Multi-Alien, if he drew it they looked "right" -- no matter how much space they occupied in the panel.

He drew some great Avengers stories in the David Michelinie years in the 70's, then came back for more in the 90's with Kurt Busiek (which does have highlights, even at the time I liked his art, excepting some costuming choices). His New Teen Titans casts a huge shadow over those characters as basically he and Wolfman's work is the only "definitive" Titans work, no matter how twisted their publishing history gets.

By every account he was a terrific guy; rest in peace, Mr. Perez.

Avengers: Endgame creator credits

It's no small feat to nail the landing.

Below are the story elements from the new Avengers: Endgame which I have attributed to the creators who first developed them in the comics. Did I overlook something? Almost certainly! Comment below and be sure to check out my master list of Marvel Cinematic Universe creator credits found here.

Stan Lee: co-creator of Spider-Man, Peter Parker, a teenage super hero garbed in red and blue with a red webbing design, spider emblem on chest, lenses in his mask and webbing in his armpits; Spider-Man swinging around on webbing fired from his web-shooters and climbing up walls; of Peter's Aunt May Parker, his nearest relative (Amazing Fantasy #15, 1962); of Spider-Man forming a parachute with his webbing (Amazing Spider-Man #7, 1963); of Ned, an associate of Peter Parker (Amazing Spider-Man #18, 1964); of the Black Widow's red hair, black bodysuit and Widow's Bite wrist weapon (Amazing Spider-Man #86, 1970); of the Avengers, a team of super heroes including Ant-Man, Thor, Hulk & Iron Man, allied with the Wasp, battling Loki in the formation of their team (Avengers #1, 1963); Captain America joining the Avengers (Avengers #4, 1964); of the Avengers' rallying cry "Avengers Assemble" (Avengers #10, 1964); of Hawkeye and the Scarlet Witch as members of the Avengers; Captain America as the Avengers leader (Avengers #16, 1965); of Black Widow being redeemed and rescued by Hawkeye (Avengers #30, 1966); of the Falcon, alias Sam Wilson, a costumed African-American hero who is friends with Captain America (Captain America #117, 1969); of the extraterrestrial Skrulls, from whom the Chitauri were derived (Fantastic Four #2, 1962); of a sub-atomic universe which Ant-Man's shrinking power can access (Fantastic Four #16, 1963); of Prince T'Challa, the Black Panther, ruler of Wakanda, son of T'Chaka, a skilled fighter and bearer of the ceremonial Black Panther costume and identity; Wakanda, a secretive African nation surrounded by mountains who conceal the true state of their technological development; The Wakandans' superior technology including communication devices and anti-gravity ships (Fantastic Four #52, 1966); of Ronan the Accuser (Fantastic Four #65, 1967); of the Hulk, Bruce Banner, a physicist who transforms into a massive, brutish creature with superhuman strength after exposure to gamma radiation; General Thaddeus Ross, a military officer (Incredible Hulk #1, 1962); of the Hulk colored green (Incredible Hulk #2, 1962); of Thor, Norse god of thunder, defender of Earth, wields a weapon which can control storms; Thor's blue costume with plated chest and bare arms; of the Kronans, extraterrestrial rock men (Journey into Mystery #83, 1962); of Jane Foster, Thor's mortal love interest (Journey into Mystery #84, 1962); of Loki, Thor's evil brother who possesses the power to cast illusions and wears green/yellow; Asgard, home of the Norse Gods which connects to Earth via the rainbow bridge Bifrost (Journey into Mystery #85, 1962); of Frigga, queen of Asgard, mother to Thor & Loki; of the Valkyrie, an order of Asgardian warrior woman who ride flying horses (Journey into Mystery #92, 1963); of a super hero named Captain Marvel (Marvel Super-Heroes #12, 1967); of Nick Fury, an experienced soldier (Sgt. Fury and His Howling Comandos #1, 1963); of Doctor Strange, a sorcerer based out of a sanctum in Greenwich Village who wages war against mystical forces of evil; Strange wearing a blue shirt; Doctor Strange's ally Wong; the Sanctum's window bearing a symbol with two curved lines pierced by a third line; of Doctor Strange's golden amulet which contains a mystical eye; of the Ancient One, Doctor Strange's long-lived master who was based in the east (Strange Tales #110, 1963); of Doctor Strange wearing a magical cape (Strange Tales #114, 1963); of Stephen Strange suffering damage to his hands (Strange Tales #115, 1963); of Wong's name (Strange Tales #119, 1964); of Doctor Strange being a Master of the Mystic Arts (Strange Tales #120, 1964); of sorcerers casting magical shields for defense in battle (Strange Tales #123, 1964); of Doctor Strange's red Cloak of Levitation and round amulet (Strange Tales #127, 1964); of Doctor Strange's home called a Sanctum (Strange Tales #132, 1965); Nick Fury wearing an eyepatch; of S.H.I.E.L.D., an international espionage and defense agency led by Nick Fury and guided by an oversight council; of Hydra, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s most determined enemies; of the phrase "Hail Hydra!" (Strange Tales #135, 1965); of Doctor Strange's amulet being called the Eye of Agamotto (Strange Tales #136, 1965); of Jasper Sitwell, a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent (Strange Tales #144, 1966); of Tony Stark, alias Iron Man, a wealthy industrialist and designer of weapons for the US Army whose advanced armor grants him superhuman strength, flight and other devices (Tales of Suspense #39, 1963); of Iron Man's armor being gold; of Iron Man's unibeam in the center of his chestplate (Tales of Suspense #40, 1963); of Pepper Potts, Tony Stark's secretary and romantic interest; of Happy Hogan, a former boxer turned chauffeur and bodyguard to Tony Stark (Tales of Suspense #45, 1963); of Iron Man wearing red and gold armor (Tales of Suspense #48, 1963); of the Black Widow, Natasha Romanoff, a spy who encounters Iron Man (Tales of Suspense #52, 1964); of Hawkeye, an expert marksman; of Hawkeye meeting the Black Widow while she was a criminal; Iron Man's chief weapon, repulsor rays (Tales of Suspense #57, 1964); of Jarvis, a butler who serves Tony Stark's family (Tales of Suspense #59, 1964); of the Black Widow's Widow's Line device (Tales of Suspense #64, 1965); of Peggy Carter, intelligence operative and wartime love interest of Captain America; of Sharon Carter, intelligence operative; of Steve Rogers letting his double identity as Captain America be public knowledge (Tales of Suspense #75, 1966); of the Cosmic Cube, a massively powerful artifact which the Red Skull seeks to control (Tales of Suspense #79, 1966); of Sharon Carter's name (Tales of Suspense #95, 1967); of Groot, an immense tree-like being from Planet X (Tales to Astonish #13, 1960); of Henry Pym, a scientist who develops a chemical formula which can shrink people in size and uses this ability to interact with ants (Tales to Astonish #27, 1962); of Ant-Man, the costumed identity of Henry Pym wherein he wears a protective red and black costume with size-changing capsules on his belt and wears a helmet which helps him communicate with ants; Pym receiving heightened strength by shrinking in size (Tales to Astonish #35, 1962); of the Wasp, Janet Van Dyne, Ant-Man's female size-changing sidekick and love interest with insect-like wings permitting flight (Tales to Astonish #44, 1963); of Kraglin, an extraterrestrial criminal (Tales to Astonish #46, 1963); of Pym's nickname "Hank" (Tales to Astonish #47, 1963); of Ant-Man reversing his superhuman powers so that he grows in size, becoming the somewhat-clumsy hero Giant-Man (Tales to Astonish #49, 1963); of the Wasp's stinger, a wrist-based weapon in her costume (Tales to Astonish #57, 1964); of Banner transforming into the Hulk during periods of high emotional stress; of the Hulk having a savage or childlike disposition (Tales to Astonish #60, 1964); of Earth referred to as Midgard by Asgardians (Thor #126, 1966); of the Scarlet Witch, alias Wanda from eastern Europe; Wanda's vaguely-defined powers (X-Men #4, 1964)

Jack Kirby: creator of Arnim Zola, a scientist (Captain America #208, 1977); co-creator of the Avengers, a team of super heroes including Ant-Man, Thor, Hulk & Iron Man, allied with the Wasp, battling Loki in the formation of their team (Avengers #1, 1963); Captain America as an Avenger (Avengers #4, 1964); of Hawkeye and the Scarlet Witch as members of the Avengers; Captain America as the Avengers leader (Avengers #16, 1965); of Captain America, Steve Rogers, of Captain America's red, white and blue costume with stars & stripes on his chest; of James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes, Steve's friend and partner who joins him in battle; of Captain America's preferred weapon, a shield; of the Red Skull, a Nazi agent who battles Captain America and Bucky; of Steve Rogers based at Camp Lehigh (Captain America Comics #1, 1941); of Captain America's mask being fastened to his costume; of Captain America's round, red and white shield with star in its center (Captain America Comics #2, 1941); of the Red Skull being German (Captain America Comics #7, 1941); of the Skrulls, extraterrestrial invaders from whom the Chitauri were derived (Fantastic Four #2, 1962); of a sub-atomic universe which Ant-Man's shrinking power can access (Fantastic Four #16, 1963); of Prince T'Challa, the Black Panther, ruler of Wakanda, son of T'Chaka, a skilled fighter and bearer of the ceremonial Black Panther costume and identity; Wakanda, a secretive African nation surrounded by mountains who conceal the true state of their technological development; The Wakandans' superior technology including communication devices and anti-gravity ships (Fantastic Four #52, 1966); of Ronan the Accuser (Fantastic Four #65, 1967); of the Hulk, Bruce Banner, a physicist who transforms into a massive, brutish creature with superhuman strength after exposure to gamma radiation; General Thaddeus Ross, a military officer (Incredible Hulk #1, 1962); of the Hulk having green skin (Incredible Hulk #2, 1962); of Thor, Asgardian god of thunder whose magic weapon can control weather; Thor's blue bodysuit with discs on his chest; of the Kronans, extraterrestrial rock men (Journey into Mystery #83, 1962); of Jane Foster, Thor's mortal love interest (Journey into Mystery #84, 1962); of Loki, Thor's evil brother who possesses the power to cast illusions and wears green/yellow; Asgard, home of the Norse Gods which connects to Earth via the rainbow bridge Bifrost (Journey into Mystery #85, 1962); of Nick Fury, an experienced soldier (Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos #1, 1963); Nick Fury wearing an eye-patch; of S.H.I.E.L.D., an international espionage and defense agency led by Nick Fury and guided by an oversight council; of Hydra, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s most determined enemies; of the phrase "Hail Hydra!" (Strange Tales #135, 1965); of Jasper Sitwell, a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent (Strange Tales #144, 1966); of Tony Stark, a wealthy industrialist and designer of weapons for the US Army whose Iron Man armor grants him superhuman strength, flight and a variety of inventions (Tales of Suspense #39, 1963); of Iron Man wearing gold armor; unibeam in the center of Iron Man's armor (Tales of Suspense #40, 1963); of Iron Man's armour coloured red & gold (Tales of Suspense #48, 1963); of the Black Widow, Natasha Romanoff, a spy who encounters Iron Man (Tales of Suspense #52, 1964); of Jarvis, a butler who serves Tony Stark's family (Tales of Suspense #59, 1964); of Peggy Carter, intelligence operative and wartime love interest of Captain America; of Sharon Carter, intelligence operative (Tales of Suspense #75, 1966); of the Cosmic Cube, a massively powerful artifact which the Red Skull seeks to control (Tales of Suspense #79, 1966); of Sharon Carter's name; of Steve Rogers letting his double identity as Captain America be public knowledge (Tales of Suspense #95, 1967); of Groot, an immense tree-like being from Planet X (Tales to Astonish #13, 1960); of Henry Pym, a scientist who develops a chemical formula which can shrink people in size and uses this ability to interact with ants (Tales to Astonish #27, 1962); of Ant-Man, the costumed identity of Henry Pym wherein he wears a protective red and black costume with size-changing capsules on his belt and wears a helmet which helps him communicate with ants; Pym receiving heightened strength by shrinking in size (Tales to Astonish #35, 1962); of the Wasp, Janet Van Dyne, Ant-Man's female size-changing sidekick and love interest with insect-like wings permitting flight (Tales to Astonish #44, 1963); of Ant-Man reversing his superhuman powers so that he grows in size, becoming the somewhat-clumsy hero Giant-Man (Tales to Astonish #49, 1963); of Earth referred to as Midgard by Asgardians (Thor #126, 1966); of the Scarlet Witch, Wanda from eastern Europe; Wanda's vaguely-defined powers (X-Men #4, 1964)

Jim Starlin: creator of Gamora turning against Thanos; of there being six soul gems which Thanos seeks to increase his ability to destroy life (Avengers Annual #7, 1977); of Thanos seeking to use vast cosmic power to remake the entire universe (Marvel Universe: The End #6, 2003); of Gamora, a dangerous green-skinned woman who wields knives (Strange Tales #180, 1975); of Gamora's name (Strange Tales #181, 1975); of Gamora adopted by Thanos; Gamora operating as Thanos' assassin (Warlock #10, 1975); co-creator of Thanos questing after the Cosmic Cube (Captain Marvel #27, 1973); of Thanos in love with Death (Captain Marvel #28, 1973); of Thanos using the Infinity Gauntlet to eliminate 50% of all life in the universe by snapping his fingers; Gamora among those Thanos kills (Infinity Gauntlet #1, 1991); of Black Panther being eliminated by Thanos (Infinity Gauntlet #2, 1991); of Thanos toying with his enemies, killing Vision, Spider-Man and the Scarlet Witch in battle; of Captain America almost defeating Thanos in one-on-one combat, Thanos breaking Captain America's shield (Infinity Gauntlet #4, 1991); of Doctor Strange assembling heroes in a second effort to battle over possession of the Infinity Gauntlet; of Nebula seeking the Infinity Gauntlet; of Thanos willingly giving up ultimate power (Infinity Gauntlet #5, 1991); of Thanos retiring to a simple life after using the Infinity Gauntlet, leaving his costume as a scarecrow; of the Infinity Gauntlet being used to undo all the deaths caused by Thanos' snap (Infinity Gauntlet #6, 1991); of Drax the Destroyer, a green-skinned man with great power and singular focus on hunting his enemies to their deaths; Thanos, a death-worshipping intergalactic warlord from Titan who inflicts genocide; Thanos as an enemy of Iron Man and Drax (Iron Man #55, 1973); of Thanos seeking to eliminate 50% of all life in the universe to restore cosmic balance; of Thanos' throne (Silver Surfer #34, 1990); of Thanos justifying his goals because of the stress excessive life places on finite resources (Silver Surfer #35, 1990); of Thanos torturing Nebula (Silver Surfer #45, 1991); of Thanos seeing his own future, learning he will assemble the Infinity Gauntlet, eventually lose it and also die (Thanos Annual #1, 2014); of the Infinity Gems, six all-powerful stones; Thanos seeking the Infinity Gems to assemble his Infinity Gauntlet; gems identified as Soul Gem, Reality Gem, Space Gem, Time Gem, Mind Gem and Power Gem (Thanos Quest #1, 1990); of the Infinity Gauntlet being broken up to prevent its further use (Warlock and the Infinity Watch #1, 1992)

Steve Ditko: co-creator of Spider-Man, Peter Parker, a teenage super hero garbed in red and blue with a red webbing design, spider emblem on chest, lenses in his mask and webbing in his armpits; Spider-Man swinging around on webbing fired from his web-shooters and climbing up walls; of Peter's Aunt May Parker, his nearest relative (Amazing Fantasy #15, 1962); of Ned, an associate of Peter Parker (Amazing Spider-Man #18, 1964); of Doctor Strange, a sorcerer based out of a sanctum in Greenwich Village who wages war against mystical forces of evil; Strange wearing a blue shirt; Doctor Strange's ally Wong; the Sanctum's window bearing a symbol with two curved lines pierced by a third line; of Doctor Strange's golden amulet which contains a mystical eye; of the Ancient One, Doctor Strange's long-lived master who was based in the east (Strange Tales #110, 1963); of Doctor Strange wearing a magical cape (Strange Tales #114, 1963); of Stephen Strange suffering from severe damage to his hands (Strange Tales #115, 1963); of Wong's name (Strange Tales #119, 1964); of Doctor Strange being a Master of the Mystic Arts (Strange Tales #120, 1964); of sorcerers casting magical shields for defense in battle (Strange Tales #123, 1964); of Doctor Strange's red Cloak of Levitation and round amulet (Strange Tales #127, 1964); of Doctor Strange's home called a Sanctum (Strange Tales #132, 1965); of Doctor Strange's amulet being called the Eye of Agamotto (Strange Tales #136, 1965); of Iron Man wearing red & gold armor (Tales of Suspense #48, 1963); of Banner transforming into the Hulk during periods of high emotional stress; of the Hulk having a savage or childlike disposition (Tales to Astonish #60, 1964)

Don Heck: co-creator of the Avengers' rallying cry "Avengers Assemble" (Avengers #10, 1964); of Black Widow being redeemed and rescued by Hawkeye (Avengers #30, 1966); of the Black Widow as an Avenger (Avengers #111, 1973); of Mantis, a heroic Asian woman with empathic powers (Avengers #112, 1973); of Captain Marvel's red and blue costume with starburst design on the chest (Captain Marvel #16, 1969); of Howard Stark, deceased father of Tony Stark and previous owner of Stark Industries (Iron Man #28, 1970); of Tony Stark, a wealthy industrialist and designer of weapons for the US Army whose suit of Iron Man armor grants him superhuman strength, flight and special weapons (Tales of Suspense #39, 1963); of Pepper Potts, Tony Stark's secretary and romantic interest; of Happy Hogan, a former boxer turned chauffeur and bodyguard to Tony Stark (Tales of Suspense #45, 1963); of the Black Widow, alias Natasha Romanoff, a Russian spy, originally a KGB agent (Tales of Suspense #52, 1964); of Hawkeye, an expert archer; of Hawkeye meeting the Black Widow while she was a criminal; Iron Man's repulsor ray weapon (Tales of Suspense #57, 1964); of the Black Widow's Widow's Line device (Tales of Suspense #64, 1965); of Morgan, a member of Tony Stark's extended family (Tales of Suspense #68, 1965); of Pym's nickname "Hank" (Tales to Astonish #47, 1963); of Kraglin, an extraterrestrial criminal (Tales to Astonish #46, 1963)

Ron Lim: co-creator of Thanos toying with his enemies, killing Vision, Spider-Man and the Scarlet Witch in battle; of Captain America almost defeating Thanos in one-on-one combat, Thanos breaking Captain America's shield (Infinity Gauntlet #4, 1991); of Doctor Strange assembling heroes in a second effort to battle over possession of the Infinity Gauntlet; of Nebula seeking the Infinity Gauntlet; of Thanos willingly giving up ultimate power (Infinity Gauntlet #5, 1991); of Thanos retiring to a simple life after using the Infinity Gauntlet, leaving his costume as a scarecrow; of the Infinity Gauntlet being used to undo all the deaths caused by Thanos' snap (Infinity Gauntlet #6, 1991); of Thanos seeking to eliminate 50% of all life in the universe to restore cosmic balance; of Thanos' throne (Silver Surfer #34, 1990); of Thanos justifying his goals because of the stress excessive life places on finite resources (Silver Surfer #35, 1990); of Thanos torturing Nebula (Silver Surfer #45, 1991); of Thanos seeing his own future, learning he will assemble the Infinity Gauntlet, eventually lose it and also die (Thanos Annual #1, 2014); of the Infinity Gems, six all-powerful stones; Thanos seeking the Infinity Gems to assemble his Infinity Gauntlet; gems identified as Soul Gem, Reality Gem, Space Gem, Time Gem, Mind Gem and Power Gem (Thanos Quest #1, 1990)

Larry Lieber: co-creator of Thor, Norse god of thunder, defender of Earth, wields a weapon which can control storms; Thor's blue costume with plated chest and bare arms (Journey into Mystery #83, 1962); of Loki, Thor's wicked brother who has the power to cast illusions; Loki garbed in green/yellow; of Asgard, the realm where Thor lives; Bifrost, the rainbow bridge which connects Asgard to other worlds (Journey into Mystery #85, 1962); of Tony Stark, a wealthy industrialist and designer of weapons for the US Army whose advanced Iron Man armor grants him superhuman strength, flight and other inventions (Tales of Suspense #39, 1963); of Henry Pym, a scientist who develops a chemical formula which can shrink people in size and uses this ability to interact with ants (Tales to Astonish #27, 1962); of Ant-Man, the costumed identity of Henry Pym wherein he wears a protective red and black costume with size-changing capsules on his belt and wears a helmet which helps him communicate with ants; Pym receiving heightened strength by shrinking in size (Tales to Astonish #35, 1962)

Roy Thomas: co-creator of Henry Pym marrying the Wasp (Avengers #60, 1968); of Quinjets, the personal aircraft of the Avengers; of Doctor Strange fighting alongside the Avengers (Avengers #61, 1969); of M'Baku, a Wakandan sometimes-ally sometimes-foe of T'Challa who wears gorilla skins (Avengers #62, 1969); of Clint Barton using Pym Particles (Avengers #63, 1969); of Hawkeye's real name, Clint Barton (Avengers #64, 1969); of Ant-Man's helmet providing environmental seals (Avengers #93, 1971); of Captain Marvel's ability to generate photon blasts from the hands (Captain Marvel #17, 1969); of Doctor Strange's Sanctum being located at 177A Bleecker Street (Doctor Strange #182, 1969); of Valkyrie, an Asgardian warrior woman who encounters the Hulk (Incredible Hulk #142, 1971); of the Soul Gem, from which the Infinty Gems were derived (Marvel Premiere #1, 1970); of Carol Danvers, a blonde woman connected to Captain Marvel (Marvel Super-Heroes #13, 1968)

Brian Michael Bendis: co-creator of the Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy joining forces against Thanos (Avengers Assemble #6, 2012); of Tony Stark dying in battle (Civil War II #7, 2017); of the Iron Patriot, a suit of Iron Man armour repainted red, white & blue (Dark Avengers #1, 2009); of Ronin a martial artist hero garbed in black (New Avengers #1, 2005); of Ronin battling organized crime in Japan (New Avengers #11, 2005); of Clint Barton as Ronin (New Avengers #27, 2007); of Iron Man and Doctor Strange wielding Infinity Gems (New Avengers: The Illuminati #2, 2007); of Maria Hill, next in line to command S.H.I.E.L.D. (Secret War #5, 2005); of Nick Fury as an African-American man (Ultimate Marvel Team-Up #5, 2001)

Gene Colan: co-creator of Clint Barton using Pym Particles (Avengers #63, 1969); of Hawkeye's real name, Clint Barton (Avengers #64, 1969); of the Falcon, Sam Wilson, a costumed African-American hero who is friends with Captain America (Captain America #117, 1969); of Doctor Strange's Sanctum being located at 177A Bleecker Street (Doctor Strange #182, 1969); of Ramonda, T'Challa's mother, queen of Wakanda (Marvel Comics Presents #37, 1989); of Captain Marvel, a super hero (Marvel Super-Heroes #12, 1967); of Carol Danvers, a blonde woman associated with Captain Marvel (Marvel Super-Heroes #13, 1968); of a team of heroes based in space called the Guardians of the Galaxy (Marvel Super-Heroes #18, 1969)

John Byrne: creator of the rules of time travel, in which attempts to alter one's past instead create an alternate reality (Marvel Two-in-One #50, 1979); co-creator of Captain America & Iron Man having a tense relationship (Avengers #165, 1977); of the Falcon as an Avenger (Avengers #183, 1979); of Spider-Man as an Avenger (Avengers #316, 1990); of James "Rhodey" Rhodes, pilot and friend of Tony Stark (Iron Man #118, 1979); of Scott Lang, a divorced ex-convict trying to support his lovable daughter Cassie Lang; Scott stealing the Ant-Man costume and equipment from Henry Pym (Marvel Premiere #47, 1979); Pym helping to mentor Scott Lang as Ant-Man, permitting him to keep the costume (Marvel Premiere #48, 1979)

Joe Simon: co-creator of Captain America, Steve Rogers, of Captain America's red, white and blue costume with stars & stripes on his chest; of James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes, Steve's friend and partner who joins him in battle; of Captain America's preferred weapon, a shield; of the Red Skull, a Nazi agent who battles Captain America and Bucky; of Steve Rogers based at Camp Lehigh (Captain America Comics #1, 1941); of Captain America's mask being fastened to his costume; of Captain America's round, red and white shield with star in its center (Captain America Comics #2, 1941); of the Red Skull being German (Captain America Comics #7, 1941)

Mark Millar: co-creator of the US government attempting to legislate all super heroes; Captain America refusing to participate in this law because of fears of it being misused, Iron Man siding with the law (Civil War #1, 2006); Nick Fury depicted as Samuel L. Jackson with visible scars around his left eye; Iron Man's eyes & unibeam glowing light blue (Ultimates #2, 2002); of Hawkeye's sleeveless costume (Ultimates #7, 2002); of the Chitauri, an extraterrestrial army who battle the Avengers (Ultimates #8, 2002); of Hawkeye married to a woman named Laura with three children (Ultimates 2 #2, 2005); of Hawkeye's family being killed (Ultimates 2 #7, 2005)

Mike Deodato Jr.: co-creator of Tony Stark mentoring Peter Parker (Amazing Spider-Man #519, 2005); of the Iron Patriot, a suit of Iron Man armour repainted red, white & blue (Dark Avengers #1, 2009); of the Black Order, a team of extraterrestrials who devoutly serve Thanos and seek the Infinity Gems on his behalf, including: Proxima Midnight, a blue-skinned woman who wields a spear; Ebony Maw, who can manipulate matter and is sent to combat Doctor Strange; Corvus Glaive, a spear-wielding man; Black Dwarf, a large alien warrior; Outriders, Thanos' unhuman foot soldiers (New Avengers #8, 2013)

John Buscema: of Henry Pym marrying the Wasp (Avengers #60, 1968); of Quinjets, the personal aircraft of the Avengers; of Doctor Strange fighting alongside the Avengers (Avengers #61, 1969); of M'Baku, a Wakandan sometimes-ally sometimes-foe of T'Challa who wears gorilla skins (Avengers #62, 1969); of Nebula, a blue-skinned villainous space pirate (Avengers #257, 1985); of Nebula related to Thanos; Thanos' forces assaulting Xandar (Avengers #260, 1985); of Carol Danvers discovering she has the ability to fly; of Carol Danvers wearing a blue and red costume with a starburst on the chest (Ms. Marvel #1, 1977)

Christopher Priest: co-creator of Black Panther wearing a Vibranium-weave uniform with lenses in his mask; of T'Challa wearing a beard; of Black Panther wearing a costume with golden necklace; The Dora Milaje, warrior women who serve as bodyguards for T'Challa; Okoye, a stoic member of the Dora Milaje, faithful to T'Challa (Black Panther #1, 1998); of Black Panther wearing a necklace of talons around his neck (Black Panther #13, 1999); of The Jabari, a Wakandan tribe to which M'Baku belongs (Black Panther #34, 2001); of the Falcon wearing a beard (Captain America & the Falcon #1, 2004)

George Perez: co-creator of the Scott Lang Ant-Man working alongside the Avengers (Avengers #195, 1980); of Thanos using the Infinity Gauntlet to eliminate 50% of all life in the universe by snapping his fingers; Gamora among those Thanos kills; hero falling into Doctor Strange's Sanctum to warn of Thanos' power (Infinity Gauntlet #1, 1991); of Black Panther being eliminated by Thanos (Infinity Gauntlet #2, 1991); of Thanos toying with his enemies, killing Vision, Spider-Man and the Scarlet Witch in battle; of Captain America almost defeating Thanos in one-on-one combat (Infinity Gauntlet #4, 1991)

Keith Giffen: co-creator of Star-Lord leading a team of agents including Mantis, Groot and Rocket Raccoon; Groot and Rocket Raccoon's friendship; Star-Lord's helmet with full faceplate, red goggles and breathing unit; Star-Lord favouring twin guns; Rocket favouring heavy artillery (Annihilation: Conquest - Star-Lord #1, 2007); of Valkyrie wearing silver armor (Defenders #47, 1977); of Drax's redesign with red body tattoos (Drax the Destroyer #3, 2006); of Drax wearing only pants (Drax the Destroyer #4, 2006); of Rocket Raccoon, an anthropomorphic adventurous raccoon (Marvel Preview #7, 1976)

Sal Buscema: co-creator of Ms. Marvel fighting alongside the Avengers (Avengers #172, 1978); of Peggy Carter as an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. (Captain America #169, 1974); of the Falcon wearing a pair of mechanical wings (Captain America #170, 1974); of Valkyrie, Doctor Strange and the Hulk as allies (Defenders #4, 1973); of Valkyrie's enchanted sword Dragonfang (Defenders #12, 1974); of Rocket Raccoon as a swashbuckling hero with the moniker "Rocket" (Incredible Hulk #271, 1982); of the Hulk possessing Bruce Banner's intelligence (Incredible Hulk #272, 1982)

Steve Englehart: co-creator of the Black Widow as an Avenger (Avengers #111, 1973); of Mantis, a heroic Asian woman with empathic powers (Avengers #112, 1973); of Peggy Carter as an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. (Captain America #169, 1974); of the Falcon's mechanical wings (Captain America #170, 1974); of Valkyrie, Doctor Strange and the Hulk as allies (Defenders #4, 1973); of the Ancient One's death (Marvel Premiere #10, 1973); of Star-Lord, alias Peter Quill, a half-alien space-adventuring gun-wielding hero (Marvel Preview #4, 1976)

David Michelinie: co-creator of the Scott Lang Ant-Man working alongside the Avengers (Avengers #195, 1980); of the Falcon as an Avenger (Avengers #183, 1979); of James "Rhodey" Rhodes, pilot and friend of Tony Stark (Iron Man #118, 1979); of Scott Lang, a divorced ex-convict trying to support his lovable daughter Cassie Lang; Scott stealing the Ant-Man costume and equipment from Henry Pym (Marvel Premiere #47, 1979); Pym helping to mentor Scott Lang as Ant-Man, permitting him to keep the costume (Marvel Premiere #48, 1979)

Jonathan Hickman: co-creator of the Black Order, a team of extraterrestrials who devoutly serve Thanos and seek the Infinity Gems on his behalf, including: Proxima Midnight, a blue-skinned woman who wields a spear; Ebony Maw, who can manipulate matter and is sent to combat Doctor Strange; Corvus Glaive, a spear-wielding man; Black Dwarf, a large alien warrior; Outriders, Thanos' unhuman foot soldiers (New Avengers #8, 2013); of Howard Stark as an early operative of S.H.I.E.L.D. (Shield #1, 2010)

Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning: co-creators of Groot's vocabulary limited to little more than "I am Groot" (Annihilation: Conquest #2, 2008); of Gamora, Drax, Star-Lord, Rocket Raccoon, Mantis and Groot banded together as the Guardians of the Galaxy Rocket as the team's tactician (Guardians of the Galaxy #1, 2008); of Groot's iterations of "I am Groot" having multiple meanings (Guardians of the Galaxy #17, 2009); of Thor channeling his lightning into Iron Man's armor to increase his power (Iron Man/Thor #4, 2011)

Mike Friedrich: co-creator of the Falcon's mechanical wings (Captain America #170, 1974); of Thanos questing after the Cosmic Cube (Captain Marvel #27, 1973); of Thanos in love with Death (Captain Marvel #28, 1973); of Drax the Destroyer, a green-skinned man with great power and singular focus on hunting his enemies to their deaths; Thanos, a death-worshipping intergalactic warlord from Titan who inflicts genocide; of Thanos as an enemy of Iron Man and Drax (Iron Man #55, 1973)

Robert Bernstein: co-creator of Frigga, queen of Asgard, mother to Thor & Loki; of the Valkyrie, an order of Asgardian warrior woman who ride flying horses (Journey into Mystery #92, 1963); of Iron Man's armor being gold; of Iron Man's unibeam in the center of his chestplate (Tales of Suspense #40, 1963); of Pepper Potts, Tony Stark's secretary and romantic interest; of Happy Hogan, a former boxer turned chauffeur and bodyguard to Tony Stark (Tales of Suspense #45, 1963)

Bryan Hitch: co-creator of Nick Fury depicted as Samuel L. Jackson with visible scars around his left eye; Iron Man's eyes & unibeam glowing light blue (Ultimates #2, 2002); of Hawkeye's sleeveless costume (Ultimates #7, 2002); of the Chitauri, an extraterrestrial army who battle the Avengers (Ultimates #8, 2002); of Hawkeye married to a woman named Laura with three children (Ultimates 2 #2, 2005); of Hawkeye's family being killed (Ultimates 2 #7, 2005)

Len Kaminski: co-creator of the War Machine armor, a suit of Iron Man armor colored silver and grey and outfitted with heavy weaponry, including a shoulder-mounted canon (Iron Man #281, 1992); of the War Machine armor being worn by James Rhodes with a unibeam designed for its chest (Iron Man #284, 1992); of Iron Man using modular attachments to his armor to create a larger suit better able to fight the Hulk (Iron Man #304, 1994)

Kevin Hopgood: co-creator of the War Machine armor, a suit of Iron Man armor colored silver and grey and outfitted with heavy weaponry, including a shoulder-mounted canon (Iron Man #281, 1992); of the War Machine armor being worn by James Rhodes with a unibeam designed for its chest (Iron Man #284, 1992); of Iron Man using modular attachments to his armor to create a larger suit better able to fight the Hulk (Iron Man #304, 1994)

Tom DeFalco: co-creator of Hope Pym, the daughter of Henry Pym and the Wasp (A-Next #10, 1998); ofHope Pym's name; Hope using the Wasp's equipment (A-Next #12, 1998); of Crossbones as a Hydra agent (Captain America #24, 1999); of Ant-Man helmet with red lenses (Fantastic Four #405, 1995); of Edith, Clint Barton's mother (Solo Avengers #2, 1988); of Captain America lifting Thor's hammer (Thor #390, 1988)

Salvador Larroca: co-creator of Pepper Potts receiving her own version of Iron Man armor (Invincible Iron Man #11, 2009); of Tony Stark and Pepper Potts as a couple (Invincible Iron Man #15, 2009); of Tony Stark building a suit of Iron Man armor based on nanotechnology (Invincible Iron Man #25, 2010); of Pepper and Tony having a child (Invincible Iron Man #500, 2011)

Matt Fraction: co-creator of Pepper Potts receiving her own version of Iron Man armor (Invincible Iron Man #11, 2009); of Tony Stark and Pepper Potts as a couple (Invincible Iron Man #15, 2009); of Tony Stark building a suit of Iron Man armor based on nanotechnology (Invincible Iron Man #25, 2010); of Pepper and Tony having a child (Invincible Iron Man #500, 2011)

Mark Texeira: co-creator of Black Panther wearing a Vibranium-weave uniform with lenses in his mask; of T'Challa wearing a beard; of Black Panther wearing a costume with golden necklace; The Dora Milaje, warrior women who serve as bodyguards for T'Challa; Okoye, a stoic member of the Dora Milaje, faithful to T'Challa (Black Panther #1, 1998)

Chris Claremont: co-creator of Carol Danvers as a US Air Force pilot (Ms. Marvel #9, 1977); of Nick Fury and Carol Danvers as allies during an early period of Fury's career (Uncanny X-Men #158, 1982); of Carol Danvers receiving massively powerful energy manipulation powers, surrounding herself with swirls of cosmic energy (Uncanny X-Men #164, 1982)

Archie Goodwin: co-creator of Captain Marvel's red and blue costume with starburst design on the chest (Captain Marvel #16, 1969); of Tony Stark undergoing surgery to have the shrapnel removed from his heart (Iron Man #19, 1969); of Howard Stark, deceased father of Tony Stark and previous owner of Stark Industries (Iron Man #28, 1970)

Timothy Green II: co-creator of Star-Lord leading a team of agents including recruits Mantis, Groot and Rocket Raccoon; Groot and Rocket Raccoon's friendship; Star-Lord's helmet with full faceplate, red goggles and breathing unit; Star-Lord favouring twin guns; Rocket favouring heavy artillery (Annihilation: Conquest - Star-Lord #1, 2007)

H.E. Huntley: co-creator of the Wasp, Janet Van Dyne, Ant-Man's female size-changing sidekick and love interest with insect-like wings permitting flight (Tales to Astonish #44, 1963); of Kraglin, an extraterrestrial criminal (Tales to Astonish #46, 1963); of Pym's nickname "Hank" (Tales to Astonish #47, 1963)

Kelly Sue DeConnick: co-creator of Carol Danvers as Captain Marvel; of Carol's red and blue costume with yellow highlights and red gloves; of Carol's helmet which shapes her hair into a mohawk; of Carol's short haircut (Captain Marvel #1, 2012); of James Rhodes as a love interest to Carol Danvers (Captain Marvel #1, 2014)

Ta-Nehisi Coates: co-creator of Black Panther wearing a costume with silver necklace which enfolds his body using nanites (Black Panther #1, 2016); Black Panther's costumes absorbing energy into its Vibranium circuitry with a purplish glow, releasing that energy in destructive blasts (Black Panther #2, 2016)

Brian Stelfreeze: co-creator of Black Panther wearing a costume with silver necklace which enfolds his body using nanites (Black Panther #1, 2016); Black Panther's costumes absorbing energy into its Vibranium circuitry with a purplish glow, releasing that energy in destructive blasts (Black Panther #2, 2016)

J. Michael Straczynski: co-creator of Tony Stark mentoring Peter Parker (Amazing Spider-Man #519, 2005); of Tony Stark building a new costume for Spider-Man which includes retractable widget arms (Amazing Spider-Man #529, 2006); of sorcerers conjuring shields with decorative glyphs (Strange #5, 2005)

Bob Harras: co-creator of the Black Widow as the Avengers' coordinator (Avengers #343, 1992); of S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Jack Rollins (Nick Fury vs. S.H.I.E.L.D. #1, 1988); of Alexander Pierce, close associate of Nick Fury, S.H.I.E.L.D. operative (Nick Fury vs. S.H.I.E.L.D. #3, 1988)

Bill Mantlo: co-creator of Rocket Raccoon as a swashbuckling hero with the moniker "Rocket" (Incredible Hulk #271, 1982); of the Hulk possessing Bruce Banner's intelligence (Incredible Hulk #272, 1982); of Rocket Raccoon, an anthropomorphic adventurous raccoon (Marvel Preview #7, 1976)

John Romita: co-creator of the Black Widow's red hair, black bodysuit and Widow's Bite wrist weapon (Amazing Spider-Man #86, 1970); of the Falcon's red costume (Captain America #144, 1971); of Carol Danvers wearing a blue and red costume with a starburst on the chest (Ms. Marvel #1, 1977)

Ron Frenz: co-creator of Hope Pym, the daughter of Henry Pym and the Wasp (A-Next #10, 1998); of Hope Pym's name; Hope using the Wasp's equipment (A-Next #12, 1998); of Crossbones as a Hydra agent (Captain America #24, 1999); of Captain America lifting Thor's hammer (Thor #390, 1988)

Dave Cockrum: co-creator of Nick Fury and Carol Danvers as allies during an early period of Fury's career (Uncanny X-Men #158, 1982); of Carol Danvers receiving massively powerful energy manipulation powers, surrounding herself with swirls of cosmic energy (Uncanny X-Men #164, 1982)

Mark Gruenwald: co-creator of Steve Rogers growing a beard after giving up the Captain America identity (Captain America #336, 1987); of Crossbones, alias Brock Rumlow, a vicious thug (Captain America #359 & 360, 1989); of Brock Rumlow's name (Captain America #400, 1992)

Jason Aaron: co-creator of Doctor Strange wearing a buttoned-down version of his blue shirt (Doctor Strange #1, 2015); of Thor wielding an axe forged by dwarves in place of his hammer (Thor: God of Thunder #1, 2013); of Thor with his hair cut short (The Unworthy Thor #2, 2017)

Jim Shooter: co-creator of Captain America & Iron Man having a tense relationship (Avengers #165, 1977); of Ms. Marvel fighting alongside the Avengers (Avengers #172, 1978); of the Hulk holding up a heavy burden to save other heroes (Marvel Super-Heroes Secret Wars #4, 1984)

Warren Ellis: co-creator of Iron Man armour assembling itself around Tony hands-free (Iron Man #5, 2006); of the Falcon wearing a military-style costume with large amounts of black and gray; the Falcon wielding guns (Ultimate Nightmare #1, 2004)

Reginald Hudlin: co-creator of Shuri, T'Challa's younger sister (Black Panther #2); of the Dora Milaje wearing red & gold battlesuits and shaving their heads; The Dora Milaje wielding Vibranium spears as weapons (Black Panther #3, 2005)

John Romita Jr.: co-creator of Shuri, T'Challa's younger sister (Black Panther #2); of the Dora Milaje wearing red & gold battlesuits and shaving their heads; The Dora Milaje wielding Vibranium spears as weapons (Black Panther #3, 2005)

Carlo Pagulayan: co-creator of Miek an insectoid gladiator and friend of the Hulk; of the Sakaaran extraterrestrial race (Incredible Hulk #92, 2006); of Korg, a Kronan gladiator and friend of the Hulk (Incredible Hulk #93, 2006)

Greg Pak: co-creator of Miek an insectoid gladiator and friend of the Hulk; of the Sakaaran extraterrestrial race (Incredible Hulk #92, 2006); of Korg, a Kronan gladiator and friend of the Hulk (Incredible Hulk #93, 2006)

Dexter Soy: co-creator of Carol Danvers as Captain Marvel; of Carol's red and blue costume with yellow highlights and red gloves; of Carol's helmet which shapes her hair into a mohawk; of Carol's short haircut (Captain Marvel #1, 2012)

Dick Ayers: co-creator of Peggy Carter, intelligence operative and wartime love interest of Captain America (Tales of Suspense #75, 1966); of the Wasp's stinger, a wrist-based weapon in her costume (Tales to Astonish #57, 1964)

Steve McNiven: co-creator of the US government attempting to legislate all super heroes; Captain America refusing to participate in this law because of fears of it being misused, Iron Man siding with the law (Civil War #1, 2006)

Mike Grell: creator of Iron Man's identity as Tony Stark being public knowledge (Iron Man #55, 2002); co-creator of Friday, an artificial intelligence used by Iron Man which has a feminine personality (Iron Man #53, 2002)

Mark Bagley: co-creator of the Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy joining forces against Thanos (Avengers Assemble #6, 2012); of Howard Stark working with Captain America during World War II (Captain America Annual #9, 1990)

Roger Stern: co-creator of Nebula, a blue-skinned villainous space pirate (Avengers #257, 1985); of Nebula related to Thanos (Avengers #260, 1985); of James Rhodes as one of the Avengers (West Coast Avengers #1, 1984)

Paul Neary: co-creator of S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Jack Rollins (Nick Fury vs. S.H.I.E.L.D. #1, 1988); of Alexander Pierce, close associate of Nick Fury, S.H.I.E.L.D. operative (Nick Fury vs. S.H.I.E.L.D. #3, 1988)

Carlos Pacheco: co-creator of the Wasp wearing a black costume with a yellow chest (Avengers Forever #1, 1998); of the aged Steve Rogers gifting Sam Wilson with the Captain America identity (Captain America #25, 2014)

Bob Layton: co-creator of James "Rhodey" Rhodes, pilot and friend of Tony Stark (Iron Man #118, 1979); of the Hulk holding up a heavy burden to save other heroes (Marvel Super-Heroes Secret Wars #4, 1984)

Carla Conway: co-creator of Carol Danvers as a feminist; Carol Danvers discovering she has the ability to fly; of Carol Danvers wearing a blue and red costume with a starburst on the chest (Ms. Marvel #1, 1977)

Gerry Conway: co-creator of Carol Danvers as a feminist; Carol Danvers discovering she has the ability to fly; of Carol Danvers wearing a blue and red costume with a starburst on the chest (Ms. Marvel #1, 1977)

Herb Trimpe: co-creator of a S.H.I.E.L.D.-related task force called S.T.R.I.K.E. (Captain Britain #15, 1977); of Valkyrie, an Asgardian warrior woman who encounters the Hulk (Incredible Hulk #142, 1971)

Walter Simonson: creator of Stormbreaker, an uru weapon forged by Eitri to imitate the power of Mjolnir (Thor #339, 1984); the Dark Elves (Thor #344, 1984); of Thor wearing a beard (Thor #367, 1986)

Brian K. Vaughan: co-creator of Dr. Strange's Cloak of Levitation behaving as though it had a mind of its own; of Doctor Strange wearing normal footwear with his costume (Doctor Strange: The Oath #1, 2006)

Marcos Martin: co-creator of Dr. Strange's Cloak of Levitation behaving as though it had a mind of its own; of Doctor Strange wearing normal footwear with his costume (Doctor Strange: The Oath #1, 2006)

Gil Kane: co-creator of Captain Marvel's ability to generate photon blasts from the hands (Captain Marvel #17, 1969); of the Soul Gem, from which the Infinty Gems were derived (Marvel Premiere #1, 1970)

Jamie McKelvie: co-creator of Carol's red and blue costume with yellow highlights and red gloves; of Carol's helmet which shapes her hair into a mohawk; of Carol's short haircut (Captain Marvel #1, 2012)

Rick Remender: co-creator of Steve Rogers being aged into an old man (Captain America #21, 2014); of the aged Steve Rogers gifting Sam Wilson with the Captain America identity (Captain America #25, 2014)

Paul Pelletier: co-creator of Gamora, Drax, Star-Lord, Rocket Raccoon, Mantis and Groot banded together as the Guardians of the Galaxy Rocket as the team's tactician (Guardians of the Galaxy #1, 2008)

Ed Brubaker: co-creator of the Winter Soldier, a assassin, has cybernetic arm (Captain America #1, 2005); of Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes being almost the same age (Captain America #5, 2005)

Steve Epting: co-creator of the Black Widow as the Avengers' coordinator (Avengers #343, 1992); of the Winter Soldier, a legendary assassin, has a cybernetic arm (Captain America #1, 2005)

Joe Sinnott: co-creator of Frigga, queen of Asgard, mother to Thor & Loki; of the Valkyrie, an order of Asgardian warrior woman who ride flying horses (Journey into Mystery #92, 1963)

Mitch Breitweiser: co-creator of Drax's redesign with red body tattoos (Drax the Destroyer #3, 2006); co-creator of Drax wearing only pants (Drax the Destroyer #4, 2006)

Trevor Hairsine: co-creator of the Falcon wearing a military-style costume with large amounts of black and gray; the Falcon wielding guns (Ultimate Nightmare #1, 2004)

Gary Friedrich: co-creator of the Falcon's red costume (Captain America #144, 1971); of a S.H.I.E.L.D.-related task force called S.T.R.I.K.E. (Captain Britain #15, 1977)

Pasqual Ferry: co-creator of Ant-Man wearing a helmet with full face mask (Heroes for Hire #6, 1997); of Ronan as a servant of Thanos (Ultimate Fantastic Four #35, 2006)

Jim Cheung: co-creator of Iron Man and Doctor Strange wielding Infinity Gems (New Avengers: The Illuminati #2, 2007); Cassie Lang as a teenager (Young Avengers #1, 2005)

Olivier Coipel: co-creator of Ant-Man wearing a costume with increased black tones (Avengers #65, 2003); of Thor with his hair cut short (The Unworthy Thor #2, 2017)

Kurt Busiek: co-creator of the Wasp wearing a black costume with a yellow chest (Avengers Forever #1, 1998); of Tony Stark wearing a goatee (Iron Man #1, 1998)

Adi Granov: creator of Iron Man armor design (Iron Man #75, 2004); co-creator of Iron Man armour assembling itself around Tony hands-free (Iron Man #5, 2006)

Ron Garney: co-creator of Tony Stark building a new costume for Spider-Man which includes retractable widget arms (Amazing Spider-Man #529, 2006)

Ryan Odagawa: co-creator of Friday, an artificial intelligence used by Iron Man which has a feminine personality (Iron Man #53, 2002)

Steve Gan: co-creator of Star-Lord, alias Peter Quill, a half-alien space-adventuring gun-wielding hero (Marvel Preview #4, 1976)

Angel Medina: co-creator of the Infinity Gauntlet being broken up to prevent its further use (Warlock and the Infinity Watch #1, 1992)

Paul Ryan: co-creator of Spider-Man as an Avenger (Avengers #316, 1990); of Ant-Man helmet with red lenses (Fantastic Four #405, 1995)

Arnold Drake: co-creator of a team of heroes based in space called the Guardians of the Galaxy (Marvel Super-Heroes #18, 1969)

J. M. DeMatteis: co-creator of the Ancient One monitoring Doctor Strange years before teaching him magic (Doctor Strange #84, 1995)

Mark Buckingham: co-creator of the Ancient One monitoring Doctor Strange years before teaching him magic (Doctor Strange #84, 1995)

Tom Morgan: co-creator of Steve Rogers growing a beard after giving up the Captain America identity (Captain America #336, 1987)

Don Rico: co-creator of the Black Widow, Natasha Romanoff, a spy who encounters Iron Man (Tales of Suspense #52, 1964)

Cully Hamner: co-creator of the Falcon taking on the Captain America identity (Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty #8, 1999)

Randall Frenz: co-creator of Howard Stark working with Captain America during World War II (Captain America Annual #9, 1990)

Brad Walker: co-creator of Groot's iterations of "I am Groot" having multiple meanings (Guardians of the Galaxy #17, 2009)

Leonardo Manco: co-creator of Tony Stark using technology to repair injuries done to James Rhodes (War Machine #1, 2008)

Mark Waid: co-creator of the Falcon taking on the Captain America identity (Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty #8, 1999)

Scot Eaton: co-creator of Thor channeling his lightning into Iron Man's armor to increase his power (Iron Man/Thor #4, 2011)

Esad Ribic: co-creator of Thor wielding an axe forged by dwarves in place of his hammer (Thor: God of Thunder #1, 2013)

Chris Bachalo: co-creator of Doctor Strange wearing a buttoned-down version of his blue shirt (Doctor Strange #1, 2015)

Tom Raney: co-creator of Groot's vocabulary limited to little more than "I am Groot" (Annihilation: Conquest #2, 2008)

Don McGregor: co-creator of Ramonda, T'Challa's mother, queen of Wakanda (Marvel Comics Presents #37, 1989)

Kieron Dwyer: co-creator of Crossbones, alias Brock Rumlow, a vicious thug (Captain America #359 & 360, 1989)

Brian Reed: co-creator of Iron Man and Doctor Strange wielding Infinity Gems (New Avengers: The Illuminati #2, 2007)

Joe Madureira: co-creator of Hawkeye becoming extremely violent after his family is killed (Ultimates 3 #1, 2008)

Jeph Loeb: co-creator of Hawkeye becoming extremely violent after his family is killed (Ultimates 3 #1, 2008)

Sal Velluto: co-creator of Black Panther wearing a necklace of talons around his neck (Black Panther #13, 1999)

Gabriele Dell'Otto: co-creator of Maria Hill, next in line to command S.H.I.E.L.D. (Secret War #5, 2005)

Michael Lark: co-creator of Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes being nearly the same age (Captain America #5, 2005)

Jim Calafiore: co-creator of the Jabari, a Wakandan tribe to which M'Baku belongs (Black Panther #34, 2001)

Al Hartley: co-creator of Morgan, a member of Tony Stark's extended family (Tales of Suspense #68, 1965)

Brandon Peterson: co-creator of sorcerers conjuring shields with decorative glyphs (Strange #5, 2005)

John Ostrander: co-creator of Ant-Man wearing a helmet with full face mask (Heroes for Hire #6, 1997)

Geoff Johns: co-creator of Ant-Man wearing a costume with increased black tones (Avengers #65, 2003)

Howard Purcell: co-creator of Jasper Sitwell, a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent (Strange Tales #144, 1966)

Steve Gerber: co-creator of Howard the Duck, an anthropomorphic sardonic duck (Fear #19, 1973)

Val Mayerik: co-creator of Howard the Duck, an anthropomorphic sardonic duck (Fear #19, 1973)

David Lopez: co-creator of James Rhodes as a love interest to Carol Danvers (Captain Marvel #1, 2014)

Joe Quesada: co-creator of Ronin a martial artist hero garbed in black (New Avengers #1, 2005)

Bob Hall: co-creator of James Rhodes as one of the Avengers (West Coast Avengers #1, 1984)

Len Wein: co-creator of Valkyrie's enchanted sword Dragonfang (Defenders #12, 1974)

Mike Allred: co-creator of Nick Fury as an African-American man (Ultimate Marvel Team-Up #5, 2001)

Sara Barnes: co-creator of sorcerers conjuring shields with decorative glyphs (Strange #5, 2005)

M.C. Wyman: co-creator of Nebula's body reinforced with cybernetics (Silver Surfer #72, 1992)

Gaspar Saladino: creator of the Avengers logo with enlarged letter "A" (Avengers #96, 1972)

Ron Marz: co-creator of Nebula's body reinforced with cybernetics (Silver Surfer #72, 1992)

Dennis O'Neil: co-creator of James Rhodes wearing Iron Man armor (Iron Man #169, 1983)

Sean Chen: co-creator of Tony Stark wearing a goatee (Iron Man #1, 1998)

Bart Sears: co-creator of the Falcon wearing a beard (Captain America & the Falcon #1, 2004)

Neal Adams: co-creator of Ant-Man's helmet providing environmental seals (Avengers #93, 1971)

David Anthony Kraft: co-creator of Valkyrie wearing silver armor (Defenders #47, 1977)

Frank Brunner: co-creator of the Ancient One's death (Marvel Premiere #10, 1973)

Rik Levins: co-creator of Brock Rumlow's name (Captain America #400, 1992)

Allan Heinberg: co-creator of Cassie Lang as a teenager (Young Avengers #1, 2005)

Dustin Weaver: co-creator of Howard Stark as an early operative of S.H.I.E.L.D. (Shield #1, 2010)

Mike Carey: co-creator of Ronan as a servant of Thanos (Ultimate Fantastic Four #35, 2006)

Peter David: co-creator of the Hulk wearing glasses (Incredible Hulk #390, 1992)

Dale Keown: co-creator of the Hulk wearing glasses (Incredible Hulk #390, 1992)

Nic Klein: co-creator of Steve Rogers being aged into an old man (Captain America #21, 2014)

David Marquez: co-creator of Tony Stark dying in battle (Civil War II #7, 2017)

Mark Bright: co-creator of Edith, Clint Barton's mother (Solo Avengers #2, 1988)

David Finch: co-creator of Ronin battling organized crime in Japan (New Avengers #11, 2005)

Leinil Francis Yu: co-creator of Clint Barton as Ronin (New Avengers #27, 2007)

Dan Jurgens: co-creator of Thor using Mjolnir to restart someone's heart (Thor #29, 2000)

Andy Kubert: co-creator of Thor using Mjolnir to restart someone's heart (Thor #29, 2000)

Frank Tieri: co-creator of Tony Stark giving his surname as 'Potts' (Iron Man #42, 2001)

Keron Grant: co-creator of Tony Stark giving his surname as 'Potts' (Iron Man #42, 2001)

Space-Born Super Hero Part 40: Avengers #108

By the Pama! At last, I'm at the last comic I'm going to review in this series. Avengers #108 (1973) is Captain Marvel's last appearance prior to Jim Starlin's arrival in Captain Marvel #25. The story is "Check--and Mate!" by Steve Englehart, Don Heck, Dave Cockrum and Joe sinnott. The story follows on from what began in Avengers #106 with the Grim Reaper and Space Phantom having made an alliance with the hordes of Hydra. At this point in time, the Grim Reaper was motivated to fight the Avengers because he blamed them for the death of his brother, Wonder Man. Having learned the Vision's mind was based on that of Wonder Man's, the Reaper now concocts a scheme to plant Vision within Wonder Man's body, granting Vision the true humanity he's long desired. It's tempting to the Vision, but he mostly just plays along with the Reaper while the other Avengers do their thing.

The Avengers don't seem to do a particularly great job against the Space Phantom as Vision, Captain America, Iron Man, Black Panther, Hawkeye and the Scarlet Witch end up being captured and the Space Phantom heads to Avengers Mansion to tie up any loose ends by catching Jarvis and Rick Jones. However, Rick fights back against the Space Phantom and the villain decides to use his ability to assume other people's forms by claiming Rick Jones' body; however, at the very instant he does so, Rick vanishes and Captain Marvel appears! With Rick Jones cast into the Negative Zone, the Space Phantom can't perform his appearance-swapping trick and is cast into Limbo by the effects of his own powers. Afterward, Mar-Vell informs the Avengers that he and Rick had helped come up with this plan to aid the team, and the Scarlet Witch even threw her fight with the Space Phantom so that she could warn Rick. The threat is finished but the Scarlet Witch is still uptight about her missing brother, Quicksilver; Vision consoles her as their romance continues to bloom.

Thoughts: Captain Marvel appears for less than 2 pages, but as he and Rick had been brought in at the outset of this storyline, it doesn't feel cheap for him to turn up, and using the Rick/Mar-Vell body swap as a means to undo the Space Phantom's body swap powers is a neat idea -- kudos to Englehart for thinking of it.

And that's all there is in terms of plot recaps; let's sum this up.

Next: The finale! What exactly did I learn from this 40-part series? Let's find out!

Space-Born Super Hero Part 38: Avengers #106

Welcome back to 'Space-Born Super Hero' and we're now nearly at the end of Captain Marvel's pre-Jim Starlin era. Today I'm looking at Avengers #106 (1972), entitled "A Traitor Stalks Among Us!" by Steve Englehart, Rich Buckler and George Tuska (inks by Dave Cockrum). This is Englehart's first time approaching Captain Marvel and he'd eventually succeed Starlin as the writer of the Captain Marvel series.

We open at Avengers Mansion as Captain America finds the Vision brooding. The rest of the team is out looking for Quicksilver while Vision admits to Cap that he's convinced he's unable to experience love due to his android nature. Suddenly Rick Jones storms in, once again angry at Captain America and the Avengers for leaving him to fend for himself. As a bitter boast, Rick declares, "Rick Jones is here to tell you he can do his own protectin' now, 'cause he's got a thing goin' with--Captain Marvel!" he strikes his Nega-Bands together to show off he and Mar-Vell renewed connection (you'll recall the Avengers didn't learn about their connection 'til Avengers #89, when they helped Rick get out of the Negative Zone). As Rick does this, Captain America has a sudden vision of himself and Rick battling Hydra a couple of years earlier when Rick had been dressed as Bucky. But Rick has memory of the particular battle Cap is remembering. This leads the Avengers into an investigation which involves the Grim Reaper and the Space Phantom.

Thoughts: I'm glancing over this one because only one scene has to do with Captain Marvel, and even then he only appears in the panel where Rick strikes his Nega-Bands together. Rick seems a bit out of character compared to how reasonably he and Cap patched things up back in Avengers #72, but he had been sniping at Mar-Vell in recent issues of their own title, so I suppose it's just Rick's present mood.

Next: Captain Marvel #24!

Space-Born Super Hero part 35: Avengers #97

Welcome back to 'Space-Born Super Hero' as I delve into the final chapter of the Kree-Skrull War storyline: Avengers #97 (1972) and the story "Godhood's End" by Roy Thomas and John Buscema (inks by Tom Palmer). We resume in the Negative Zone where Rick Jones is once again stranded and face-to-face with Annihilus. Annihilus recognizes him from before (Avengers #89) and closes in for the kill - but a ray of light shines out from Rick's forehead and drives Annihilus back. Rick has no idea what just happened.

Back in the Andromeda Galaxy, Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch try to free Captain Marvel, but he's trapped within a sphere of negative energy by the Skrulls until the Omni-Wave Projector is complete. Princess Anelle is quite skeptical about her father's schemes and the many Skrulls who have died because of him, but Emperor Dorrek is so miffed he muses he'd kill her if only she weren't "the sole offspring of an emperor!" It was Mar-Vell's use of the Omni-Wave Projector to call the Avengers that cast Rick into the Negative Zone, but Mar-Vell now smashes the device; he explains to the Scarlet Witch that the Omni-Wave Projector is only a communication device, provided the user is Kree - it's only in the hands of a non-Kree brain that it becomes deadly.

Rick is being dragged towards the explosive center of the Negative Zone but by concentrating reopens the portal to the Supreme Intelligence and confronts the being, demanding answers. While the Supreme Intelligence talks around the problem, Ronan is spying on them and sends Kree soldiers to kill the Supreme Intelligence and Rick. The Supreme Intelligence tells Rick to focus again on the super heroes of his youth (as he did in Avengers #92) and as he does so, the heroes Captain America, Blazing Skull, the Fin, the Sub-Mariner, the Vision, the Angel and the Human Torch are brought to life to defend Rick. Although Rick calls Cap and Namor "real" the other heroes are dismissed here as mere comic book creations brought to life (but later Marvel Comics would establish all of them as having existed in the Marvel Universe's past).

As the heroes eventually fade, the Supreme Intelligence directs Rick to use his power in a different manner, immobilizing every member of the Kree and Skrull races, bringing the war to a sudden halt. The Avengers on the Skrull throneworld and those battling the Skrull armada witness the effects; likewise frozen in his tracks is H. Warren Craddock, who is exposed as a Skrull and then killed by an angry mob. Rick still doesn't understand how he has the power to do these things, but the Supreme Intelligence explains he's unleashed Rick's dormant potential. "For untold eons, Skrull and Kree hae stalked the cosmic corridors like twin races of malevolent gods--never knowing each of their star-spanning clans has reached--a dead end. Live a billion billion years, neither will ever advance one more rung up the ladder of evolution. Now, they can but snarl at each other across the sea of space, hating both each other--and the human race--which they subconsciously sense to be their ultimate superiors!"

These ideas are similar to those which we learned of in Captain Marvel #16. Rick falls unconscious from the strain placed upon him, but the Supreme Intelligence summons all of the affected heroes (Avengers and Captain Marvel) and tells the unfrozen Captain Marvel that he and Rick must once again be merged in order to save Rick's life. Mar-Vell doesn't want to share his life with another person again, but unwilling to see Rick die, agrees; once more, they are bound together by the Nega-Bands. The Supreme Intelligence now reclaims leadership over the Kree, declaring that it hopes "this time, to be more deserving of his name!" The Supreme Intelligence sends everyone back to Earth, where they're met by Nick Fury and the real H. Warren Craddock. They determine the Skrull who impersonated Craddock and inflamed the public against aliens was the missing fourth Skrull who hadn't become a cow way back in Fantastic Four #2. It's only then that the assembled heroes realize Goliath is missing.

Thoughts: A fair bit happens in this issue and not much of it has to do with the Avengers, who take a serious backseat to the affairs of the Skrulls & Kree. In fact, despite all the emphasis given to Vision's feelings for the Scarlet Witch in earlier issues, their reunion at the climax of the war is left unremarked upon.

It's a strange kind of ending to a story which seemed to be steadily escalating, with the fleets of starships only just being introduced in the previous issue, but considering the backdrop against which this story was set - the immensely unpopular Vietnam War - it makes sense that the solution to the war isn't found in punches or ray beams.

Poor Captain Marvel had precious little to do in this story - in issue #89 he fled from the Avengers like a criminal, then spent almost every issue afterward being confined by someone (first the Kree, then the Skrulls) and only in #96 finally began fighting back. All he gets to do in the finale is bond again with Rick Jones, but this time his reluctance at doing so shows off his emotional side. It's strange way to test the waters and see if people wanted more Captain Marvel stories - essentially shoving him in the background of the story instead of the foreground - but I guess it paid off because Captain Marvel got his comic back!

Next: Mar-Vell is back in his own book! Captain Marvel #22!

Space-Born Super Hero Part 34: Avengers #96

Welcome back to 'Space-Born Super Hero' which is now up to the penultimate chapter of the epic 'Kree-Skrull War'! Yep, it's Avengers #96 (1972): "The Andromeda Swarm!" by Roy Thomas & Neal Adams (inks by Tom Palmer). The Avengers (comprised of Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, Goliath and the Vision) head to the SHIELD space station to confer with Nick Fury, who notes he's disobeying direct orders from H. Warren Craddock by allying with them. "I figger I'm gettin' too old for this line'a work, anyhow," Nick philosophizes. Nick gifts the heroes with a spaceship they can use to retrieve their allies - it's powered by Mjolnir, enabling it to travel past the speed of light. As they are about to exit the Solar System, they discover a massive fleet of Skrull starships is gathering to invade! The Avengers' ship emits an illusion of duplicates of itself to try and frighten the Skrulls, but the Skrulls confer with Emperor Dorrek, who orders them to investigate. A single Skrull vessel streaks towards the Avengers' craft.

Captain America and Goliath get inside one-man shuttles for a fight, while Thor, Iron Man and Vision have no trouble engaging the Skrulls in space, with Thor destroying a missile the Skrulls launch at them. Thor and Vision then tear their way through the Skrull ship's hull; Cap and Iron Man follow them aboard while Goliath remains outside in his shuttle; now that he's completely out of growth serum, Goliath's power is somewhat restricted. The four Avengers storm to the ship's bridge, where the officer, Kalxor confronts them. Emperor Dorrek appears on Kalxor's viewscreen to taunt the Avengers, showing them Captain Mar-Vell is in the midst of building an Omni-Wave Projector for them (last time he built it in about a half hour; hmm...). As the Avengers don't know Mar-Vell very well, Iron Man suggests he never was their ally to begin with. However, the Mar-Vell labouring over the device turns out to be a hologram which Mar-Vell created using the Omni-Wave Projector; the device is complete, but Mar-Vell's not sharing it with the Skrulls and he moves to release the Scarlet Witch & Quicksilver from their cells.

So, Emperor Dorrek's attempt at taunting the Avengers has not gone as he foresaw. Kalxor tries to execute orders which Dorrek sends him, but Vision restrains Kalxor and begins threatening him. "Tell me of this contingency plan--and the location of Throneworld, as well." When Kalxor refuses to comply, Vision starts beating him. Iron Man tries to restrain his comrade: "Vision--stop! Your android strength--! You'll kill him! You don't know what you're doing!" Vision disagrees: "Another correction, Iron Man: My brain is a miniaturized, high-speed computer. I always know precisely what I am doing. I--am--killing--him!" Ultimately, Thor and Iron Man have to drag him away, but the bruised Kalxor gives up the information. The contingency plan is to fire a nuclear warhead at Earth so powerful it can destroy all life on the planet. The Avengers inform Goliath and he sends his shuttle to intercept the ship carrying the warhead; Goliath boards the ship, but without any powers, he's in a tough position.

Meanwhile in the Kree Galaxy (the planet Hala), we're finally checking in with Ronan the Accuser (who has strangely reverted to pink skin). Ronan is disappointed at his men for bringing Rick Jones to him as a prisoner, but then he recalls Rick was one of the people who destroyed his citadel on Earth. Rick heroically grabs a weapon from one of the guards and strikes Ronan in the face, but it does absolutely nothing; Ronan swats him aside. Rick mocks him: "Hey, that was pretty brave, Ronan-baby. Whatcha doin'--workin' your way up to beltin' women an' kids?" Ronan admits, "You possess--a certain rudimentary courage, whelp." Ronan decides to let Rick live and be his personal "body-slave" (that sounds gross). He takes Rick out to a balcony and shows him how highly advanced the Kree civilization is compared to Earth. Rick wonders if the Kree and Skrulls are both so advanced, why does Earth matter to either of them?

Ronan explains Earth simply lies midway between the Kree and Skrull empires; it's nothing personal - Earth is just a convenient port for their forces. Rick tries to escape Ronan's clutches, but Ronan strikes him with a bolt of energy from his Universal Weapon. Rick vows, "Some day--some way--I'm definitely gonna kill you, creep!" Ronan throws him into a room which turns out to be the immense theatre where the Supreme Intelligence rests; you'll recall he was deposed at the beginning of this storyline. This rates a "faaan-tastic!" from Rick. The Supreme Intelligence reveals he's been secretly manipulating a lot of the war through his mental powers, such as inflaming tensions against aliens on Earth and compelling the Kree in Attilan to take Rick prisoner. He was even responsible for guiding Rick out of the courtroom during the Avengers' hearing and concealing the Super-Skrull's true identity from Mar-Vell. The Supreme Intelligence then opens a portal to the Negative Zone and deposits Rick inside, placing him within striking distance of Annihilus! To be concluded!

Thoughts: We get one of the most memorable moments of the storyline when Vision loses his cool against Kalxor. It's also of note that the Avengers engage in some fierce combat against the Skrull ship - it's not clear if they took any casualties; I know some fans assume they did kill a few Skrulls, but surely there'd be some mention of that on panel, considering how shocked they are by Vision's behaviour.

Sending Rick back to the Negative Zone seems to bring him back to where he was at the start of this storyline and is, I suppose, the first sign that Rick and Mar-Vell will be returning to their previous status quo when this story is done.

Next: I wrap-up looking at the Kree-Skrull War with Avengers #97!

Space-Born Super Hero Part 33: Avengers #95

Hello and welcome to another entry in 'Space-Born Super Hero', which now up to Avengers #95 (1972) and the story "Something Inhuman This Way Comes...!" by Roy Thomas and Neal Adams (inks by Tom Palmer). The previous issue ended with the Avengers battling SHIELD Mandroids outside of their mansion when Triton emerged from the sewers. We now flash back a little to show Triton swimming to New York, commandeering a van, being shot by the police, fleeing into the sewers, and finally emerging in the middle of the firefight outside Avengers Mansion. H. Warren Craddock is watching the progress of the battle gleefully, while Nick Fury is rather glum about sending his agents to attack his friends. Suddenly, the Mandroids go inert as Iron Man thinks up a better plot than 'ram them using my roller-skates': he uses his power-pods (those devices on his armour's hips) to unleash all of their energy at the Mandroids and short out the armour. Thor wonders how he knew this work without hurting the SHIELD agents. "I knew, Thor! Isn't that enough?" This is before Tony began sharing his secret identity with any of his fellow Avengers.

Rick Jones notices the injured Triton and goes to help him; Triton was actually looking for the Fantastic Four, but Rick tells him the F.F. are out of town (huh? they were in town last issue). Triton quickly recaps the events of the Inhumans' stories as Maximus the Mad used his mental powers to seize control of Attilan while the rightful ruler Black Bolt has been lost in San Francisco, amnesiac. Thor encountered the Inhumans during that story and verifies what he can, but the Vision isn't interested. "I vote--no!" the android declares icily. He reminds the team about their present woes in the midst of the interstellar Kree-Skrull War and of Quicksilver, the Scarlet Witch and Captain Marvel's capture (but mostly, we surmise, he's concerned about the Scarlet Witch's capture). Vision saw for himself how the Super-Skrull couldn't pierce the barrier around Attilan and observes, "Only a fool would attack it--when Thor's hammer could carry us just as easily to the stars." Goliath finds himself having to step in between Vision and Iron Man to prevent a fistfight and points out all of them want to help both groups, the Inhumans and the kidnapped heroes. Captain America asks the Vision to pick the division of teams to handle these separate problems; Vizh asks Cap, Rick and Goliath to go with Triton to San Francisco while he, Thor and Iron Man head to the Andromeda Galaxy. Just as Cap's team departs, the inert Mandroids are revived by remote control while the armours' operators remain unconscious.

In San Francisco, Black Bolt and his young friend Joey are about to be fired upon by a gang of criminals when Captain America comes to their rescue. Black Bolt's memory has returned and he's happily reunited with Triton, then (through sign language) urges Goliath, Rick and Cap's help in returning to Attilan. They even bring Joey for some reason; I guess Rick used to tag-along with the Avengers in his younger days, so it isn't too ridiculous. Anyway, while they travel Black Bolt remembers when he was younger and discovered Maximus was plotting an alliance with the Kree (with Ronan the Accuser, no less). Black Bolt used his sonic scream to destroy the Kree starship with Maximus' allies aboard, but it crashed upon Bolt & Maximus' parents, crushing them both to death.

Back at Avengers Mansion, Iron Man disables the Mandroids for good, while Vision has a change of heart; he now wants to help Triton. Thor uses Mjolnir to open a portal to the Great Refuge just outside of the barrier which surrounds Attilan (he doesn't explain why he didn't simply open the portal inside Attilan). Vision can't phase through the barrier and although Mjolnir can pass through, it simply circles around and back to Thor without creating an opening. The team from San Francisco arrives and Black Bolt utters one word; the barrier falls before his voice and Black Bolt is reunited with the Inhumans, drawn in that crazy style which is signature Neal Adams.

The Inhumans are under Maximus' control and forced to attack the heroes while Maximus has resumed his alliance with the Kree, promising to aid them in the war with the Skrulls. As the heroes fight Maximus and his allies, Rick is snatched aboard a Kree vessel which departs immediately for the Kree Galaxy. Maximus is otherwise easily beaten and Black Bolt regains his throne. Elsewhere, we see the Scarlet Witch, Quicksilver & Captain Marvel: prisoners of the Skrulls! We see the Supreme Intelligence stating obliquely: "The players are all in place. Let the final phase begin!" And finally Captain America declares "We're coming for you--Kree and Skrulls alike! And nothing can stay our hand from vengeance--nothing but death!"

Thoughts: Although Thomas & Adams were primarily concerned with tying up loose ends from their Inhumans story (to the benefit of both of the Inhumans' fans), the Inhumans did, at least, have a natural link to the Kree and by making Maximus a Kree ally the story isn't as much of a diversion as it could have been. The Vision's rising temper about their situation is also a good touch, as he rightfully--but, very heatedly in an unusual fashion for his character--points out the team is already in the middle of a conflict with enormous stakes and their friends' lives on the line.

Next: The Avengers take the fight to their enemies in Avengers #96!

Space-Born Super Hero Part 32: Avengers #94

Welcome to another entry in my blogging series 'Space-Born Super Hero' as I work my way through Captain Marvel's career prior to the arrival of creator Jim Starlin. Today I'm up to Avengers #94 (1971), another entry in the ongoing 'Kree-Skrull War' saga with the story "More Than Inhuman!" by Roy Thomas, Neal Adams, and John Buscema (inks by Tom Palmer). The Avengers have just defeated three Skrulls at a farmhouse in upstate New York. The team calls up Mister Fantastic to let him know about the Skrulls and ask if he can come up with a way to track the Skrull starship which escaped with the Scarlet Witch, Quicksilver and Captain Marvel aboard. Unknown to the team, the Vision phased inside the ship before it escaped and he's now spying on the heroes' captor, the Super-Skrull. The Skrull ship isn't headed for outer space, though - it's headed to Attilan, the home of the Inhumans! The Super-Skrull is about to launch a weapon to destroy Attilan when the Vision emerges from hiding and fights him. Unable to best the Vision, the Super-Skrull simply turns invisible and throws the lever on his weapon!

The ship emits a massively destructive explosion, but none of it pierces the defensive shield which surrounds Attilan's Great Refuge. The Super-Skrull is infuriated at the survival of the "Kree-spawn" (as noted back in Avengers#90, the Inhumans were engineered by the Kree) and it seems his only reason for the assault was that he considered them Kree-by-proxy. Vision considers continuing the fight against the Super-Skrull, but he worries that the Scarlet Witch could be killed in the clash, so he phases out of the ship and departs as the Super-Skrull sets his course for the Skrull Galaxy; at least now Vision can tell the other Avengers what he's learned.

As the Super-Skrull's ship uses a space-time warp to return to the Andromeda Galaxy, Mar-Vell ponders the situation from where he's been confined. He knows the Skrull will want to interrogate him for Kree strategic information and wonders what decision he would make if the Skrulls forced him to choose between the Kree and Earth; realizing he doesn't know the answer, he begins to think the humans were right to question his motives. The Super-Skrull's ship is met by heavy fire - not because of the Kree, but because the Super-Skrull is in exile and Emperor Dorrek has no reason to want him back. The only inch Emperor Dorrek is willing to grant the Super-Skrull is that he "pierced the nega-shield which the Kree have placed" around Earth. This is the first we've heard of this shield. Anyway, Dorrek contains the Super-Skrull inside an energy sphere. When the Super-Skrull attempts to blast his way out using the Human Torch's nova flame, he burns up his oxygen supply and falls unconscious; what a dope.

Dorrek is all too happy to accept the prisoners from the Super-Skrull's ship and transfers Quicksilver, the Scarlet Witch and Captain Marvel to his own prisons. When Dorrek notes Mar-Vell became a rebel for opposing Ronan, his daughter Anelle remarks, "If he hates Ronan, he must be a good man indeed." Anelle asks her father to release the trio, but Dorrek wants the secret of the omni-wave projector from Mar-Vell; Mar-Vell notes the Super-Skrull already tried and failed to accomplish that goal. Dorrek notes he can't "abuse" Mar-Vell because of the "Convention of Fornax" (I believe this is the first mention of Fornax, which is later established as a major galaxy in the Marvel Universe), so he'll simply torture Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch until Mar-Vell gives in. The siblings are placed in a confined room with a massive reptillian creature and a number of small, pink, fuzzy creatures. The green monster seems like the greater threat, so Quicksilver runs about to generate a cyclone, but the force of his movement causes the pink creatures - Druffs - to be flung everywhere and each time one of them strikes something hard, they duplicate themselves. Before you can say 'Tribble', the Druffs become so numerous that they threaten to smother the two heroes to death.

Mar-Vell can't bear to see Wanda and Pietro suffer such a horrible (albeit goofy) death, so he relents, noting those two had already saved his life once. Dorrek releases the Avengers from the cell and informs Mar-Vell if he doesn't turn over the secret of the omni-wave projector, the two Avengers will die.

We cut back to Earth as H. Warren Craddock is continuing his search for aliens in the midst, subjecting government employees to an alien-detection device; he starts by subjecting the research scientists who testified at the Avengers' hearing (Avengers #92); the scientists now regret having gone to Craddock with their information. After this, Nick Fury sends a coded message to the Avengers, suggesting they might want to get out of town. The team is rejoined by the Vision, who begins to explain what's happened when Craddock's forces appear outside Avengers Mansion and demand the heroes exit. Craddock has brought tanks and helicopters, as he didn't expect the heroes to come willingly: inside the helicopters are the Mandroids, three SHIELD agents wearing powerful suits of battle armor built by Tony Stark (a footnote informs readers they're not connected to the Mandroid from Captain Marvel#18, which you'll recall was also written by Roy Thomas).

Goliath is down to his last dose of growth serum but uses it to attack a Mandroid, only to get an electrical shock from him. The armor can also generate an anti-magnetic field to ward off Captain America's shield. However, these guys were trained by Tony Stark, so Iron Man has an obvious advantage, and that is... they don't know about his armor's roller skates!

... No, seriously, that's what he thinks his advantage is. He rolls himself at two of the Mandroids to bwol them over but the third fires a blast which makes Iron Man go tumbling head over heel. The Invincible Iron Man, ladies and gentlemen. Suddenly, Triton crawls out from the sewers below and-- the story is to be continued!

Thoughts: I've always enjoyed the Kree-Skrull dynamic which Roy Thomas first hinted at way back in Captain Marvel #2 and it is neat to see the scenes where Dorrek and Anelle comment about the Kree. As both races are villains in the Marvel Universe, it's intriuging to see what they think about each other.

Roy Thomas, Neal Adams and Tom Palmer had previously been the Inhumans' creative team over in Amazing Adventures, so they use the Kree-Skrull War as a means of wrapping up the series. This begins what will become a recurring tradition of audiences rejecting the Inhumans but Marvel creators forcing them into a more popular series anyway. It's the circle of life.

Next: The Kree-Skrull War (and those pesky Inhumans) continues into Avengers #95!