#Steve Englehart Story

[keycomicbooks]

#FANTASTICFOUR #310 (1988) #KeithPollard Cover & Pencils, #SteveEnglehart Story, 1st Appearance of Sharon Ventura as #SheThing "Things to Come!" Ms. Marvel Mutates into She-Thing https://www.rarecomicbooks.fashionablewebs.com/FantasticFour%203.html#310 @rarecomicbooks Website Link In Bio Page If Applicable. SAVE ON SHIPPING COST - NOW AVAILABLE FOR LOCAL PICK UP IN DELTONA, FLORIDA #RareComicBooks #KeyComicBooks #MCU #MarvelComics #MarvelUniverse #KeyComic #ComicBooks

[wanderingmind867]

Doctor Strange is stuck in his orb. So we get some weird stuff like this here. A tea party made up of other heroes. Namor, The Hulk, Ant-Man, Spider-Man, Hawkeye, Nick Fury, Black Panther, and according to the marvel wiki the fawcett comics character of Captain Midnight. (Doctor Strange #2):

[evilhorse]

My name is Professor Reinstein.

[hiveswap]

It's oddly dark!!!

Look me in the eyes. Im not kidding when i say that Starlord's original introduction is jesus coded. It isn't even "coded," they just tell the story of Jesus' birth and then start telling the story of how baby Peter was just randomly born, and his mother's husband thought she was cheating him, so he immediately tried to kill him with an axe and died of a heart attack mid-swing.

[scarletwitching]

What would be your recommendations for someone trying to get into Wanda?

There is so much Lore™ with Wanda that they never stop bringing up that you're always going to have questions and be a little confused, no matter where I tell you to start. That said:

Scarlet Witch by James Robinson: The Complete Collection

Scarlet Witch by Steve Orlando Vol. 1: The Last Door

Scarlet Witch by Steve Orlando Vol. 2: Magnum Opus

Scarlet Witch by Steve Orlando Vol. 3: Scarlet Witch & Quicksilver

Vision & the Scarlet Witch: The Saga of Wanda and Vision

There was a time when the answer for where to start with Wanda was some very old, scattered issues of Avengers, and nowadays, I feel like the solo comics are a good place to start. The last one is a collection of comics from the 80's, but those stories are focused on her and Vision.

From there, you can try out Steve Englehart's run on Avengers. Busiek's too, I suppose. Various events, both recent and old. It's hard because sometimes, rather famously, Wanda, as a plot device, will be very important in a story, but then she's barely in the story. Like, she's comatose, she's off-screen, people are talking about her and she's not there. Which, I think, makes them weird to recommend for her, in spite of what it looks like on paper. If you want lore, you can just read a summary of the lore.

And also, those comics are not the best quality and contain many questionable writing decisions, far beyond the normal stuff you get in Marvel comics. I often have quibbles with the things I recommend, elements I have outdated and insensitive, but there's a big difference between that and Disassembled, which I would be hard-pressed to say anything positive about.

[smashedpages]

In 1986, DC Comics followed in the footsteps of the music industry and their group projects "Do They Know It Christmas?" and "We Are The World," producing a benefit comic where all proceeds were donated to charity to help with the hunger crisis in Africa.

Spearheaded by Jim Starlin and Bernie Wrightson, Heroes Against Hunger #1 featured the work of 100 contributors in a story about Superman, Batman and Lex Luthor trying to relieve hunger in Ethiopa. Creators who participated included John Byrne, Howard Chaykin, Cary Bates, Steve Englehart, Klaus Janson, Mindy Newell, Michael Kaluta, Steve Leialoha, Al Milgrom, Gray Morrow, Bill Sienkiewicz, Walt Simonson, Marv Wolfman, George Perez and many more. Neal Adams and Dick Giordano did the cover.

(Not incidentally, the comic followed the Heroes for Hope X-Men comic from Marvel, which Jim Starlin and Bernie Wrightson also spearheaded).

[nyhti]

I associate you a lot with DC's Dr. Strange, hehe ^w^

So is it true that Dr. Hugo Strange is just as much of a weirdo as the other rogues? Because I thought he was originally this boring evil doctor guy, but it seems he has this weird thing for Batman????

What other weird quirks does this man have besides dressing up as Batman (and the weird Batman sex mannequin he has)?

Love your art, by the way!!!!!

Thank you for the ask!

Oh, he's definitely just as weird as the next rogue, even weirder than most in my opinion. I think the assumption that he's boring comes from the fact that most people don't bother to actually do any research into him. It seems most people get their idea of what this character is about from Batman: Arkham City and Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #11-15 ”Prey” and that is a tragedy, because, in my opinion, neither of these are good takes on Hugo. When you go to his tag on this site every take is either ”guy standing around in a lab coat” or ”HE FUCKED A MANNEQUIN??” Tragic. When you actually start reading his stories you find he is actually a surprisingly complex and interesting character.

I'm not quite sure what would qualify as a weird quirk, but I gathered some interesting and freaky little moment in Hugo lore from Pre-Crisis canon. Pre-Crisis, because I just don't really care about Post-Crisis.

My personal favorite little piece of weird Hugo lore is that he canonically took nudes of himself sometime during Gerry Conway's run. I talked about it in the tags of this post and then later made a comic about it here.

Second freaky moment is him drugging and undressing Bruce TWICE during Steve Englehart's run. I posted about it here.

Third place is going to the fact that in his first appearance (Detective Comics #36 (1940)) he apparently just had a designated room in his hideout where he could chain people up and whip them. Normal. I'm surprised I haven't posted about this before, but I guess I just consider it's common knowledge considering it's his first appearance.

And I feel like I need to give at least an honorable mention to him sticking his finger in Bruce's mouth mid battle in Batman #356 (1983). I posted about it here.

Second honorable mention goes to that scene in Detective Comics #471 (1977) where we see Hugo getting undressed and Magda with her shirt half open and then Batman crashes in and Hugo starts frantically getting dressed and Magda buttons her shirt. I can always tell when people haven't done their research into this character when they start having takes like he can't get laid. I'm looking at you Doug Moench.

Anyway, that's all I can think of right now.

[classicmarvelera]

Unraveling the Legacy: Steve Englehart's Impactful Journey at Marvel Comics

In the intricate tapestry of comic book history, certain creators stand out as architects of enduring legacies. Among them is Steve Englehart, a prolific writer whose imaginative storytelling and nuanced characterizations have left an indelible mark on the Marvel Universe. Throughout his tenure at Marvel Comics, Englehart crafted narratives that transcended the confines of the page, breathing new life into iconic characters and redefining the landscape of superhero storytelling

Early Career and Arrival at Marvel

Before his ascent to prominence at Marvel, Englehart honed his craft through various ventures in the comic book industry. His journey towards the House of Ideas began with a passion for storytelling and a keen eye for character dynamics. Upon joining Marvel Comics, Englehart quickly distinguished himself with his inventive approach to superhero narratives, earning him a place among the company's top writers

Captain America: Redefining a Patriotic Icon

Englehart's tenure at Marvel is perhaps best remembered for his transformative run on "Captain America." Englehart embarked on a daring exploration of patriotism, identity, and the moral complexities of heroism during his time on the title. Through Captain America's lens, Englehart crafted compelling narratives that resonated with readers on a profound level

One of Englehart's most acclaimed story arcs, "The Secret Empire Saga," remains a seminal moment in Captain America's history. Englehart delved into the heart of America's political landscape in this epic tale, confronting societal issues with unflinching honesty. The storyline culminated in a shocking revelation that shook the foundations of the Marvel Universe, leaving a lasting impact on Captain America's legacy

Exploring Other Marvel Characters

While Englehart's tenure on "Captain America" garnered widespread acclaim, his creative influence extended far beyond the Star-Spangled Avenger. Englehart's work on the relationship between the Scarlet Witch and the Vision, two of Marvel's most enigmatic characters, stands as a testament to his ability to infuse depth and complexity into his narratives. In "The Vision and the Scarlet Witch" miniseries, Englehart explored the intricacies of their unconventional romance, navigating themes of love, identity, and acceptance in a superhero context

Additionally, Englehart's contributions to other Marvel titles showcased his versatility as a storyteller. From the cosmic adventures of The Avengers to the mystical realms of Doctor Strange to the brutal Avengers/Defenders War, Englehart's narratives spanned the breadth of the Marvel Universe, enriching the tapestry of interconnected stories

Creative Collaborations and Artistic Vision

A hallmark of Englehart's work is his collaborative spirit and his ability to synergize with artists to bring his vision to life. Throughout his tenure at Marvel, Englehart forged lasting partnerships with some of the industry's most talented illustrators, resulting in visually stunning and narratively rich comics. From the dynamic pencils of Sal Buscema to the ethereal landscapes of Frank Brunner, Englehart's collaborators imbued his stories with a visual dynamism that elevated his narratives to new heights

Critical Reception and Legacy

Englehart's contributions to Marvel Comics have not gone unnoticed, with fans and critics alike lauding his innovative storytelling and memorable characterizations. His work continues to resonate with readers, standing as a testament to the enduring power of comics as a medium for storytelling

In the annals of comic book history, Steve Englehart's legacy shines brightly as a beacon of creativity and imagination. His groundbreaking contributions to the Marvel Universe have left an indelible mark on the fabric of superhero storytelling, inspiring generations of creators to push the boundaries of the medium. As we continue to celebrate his achievements, we are reminded of the transformative power of storytelling to inspire, to provoke, and to unite us in our shared love of comics

Conclusion

Steve Engelhart is a titan in the comic book world, yet his contributions often reside in the shadow of more mainstream characters. His legacy is woven into the fabric of Marvel, shaping the narratives of both obscure and iconic figures alike, from the Avengers to the enigmatic Scarlet Witch and Vision

In the annals of Marvel history, Engelhart stands as a trailblazer, setting the stage for future writers who would helm the sagas of Captain America and the Avengers. Mark Grunwald's tenure bears striking resemblance to Engelhart's, a testament to the enduring themes of politics and cosmic exploration inherent in these titles

Engelhart's storytelling prowess shines particularly bright in Captain America, where political intrigue and global conspiracies intersect, birthing characters like Shang Chi. While rooted in martial arts, Shang Chi emerges as a pivotal figure in Marvel's tapestry, navigating the murky waters of SHIELD and HYDRA with aplomb

Amidst the tumult of the 1970s comic scene, Engelhart rose as a beacon of innovation, his work becoming synonymous with the decade itself. Remarkably, he achieved this without the crutch of marquee titles like Spider-Man or the Fantastic Four, solidifying his place as an unsung hero of the Marvel Bronze Age

Steve Englehart's tenure at Marvel Comics is a testament to storytelling's transformative power. Through his imaginative narratives and compelling characterizations, Englehart reshaped the Marvel Universe, leaving an indelible mark on the landscape of superhero comics. As we reflect on his legacy, we are reminded of the enduring impact of his creative vision and the timeless allure of his storytelling prowess

References

Captain America: The Secret Empire Saga

The Vision and the Scarlet Witch

The Avengers: The Celestial Madonna Saga

Doctor Strange: A Separate Reality

[positivelybeastly]

A Completely Unbiased and Totally Comprehensive Beast Reading List, Pt. 1

As a member of the first class of X-Men, the intelligently gifted Dr. Hank McCoy has been fighting for the peaceful coexistence between mutants and humans for most of his life, under the tutelage of Professor Xavier. Born with an enhanced physique, strength, and muscular structure, he has adopted the name Beast.

Well, hello there, friends! Welcome to a completely unbiased, totally comprehensive, not at all too long reading list that aims to show you the story of everyone's favourite Beast, from start to finish!

Origins

As one of the original X-Men, Beast features in almost every issue of the very first iteration of the team - but to put it bluntly, 60s X-Men sucks, and I want you to enjoy this character, so we're going to start with some aggressive curation.

X-Men Origins: Beast, by Mike Carey - a solo story that retells Hank's origins, including his pre-X-Men life, and an insight into his mindset, his relationship with humanity, and his first meeting with the X-Men. It also happens to have some rather lovely art, and a fantastic last page spread that expresses a lot of what makes Hank a brilliant character. X-Men: First Class, by Jeff Parker - a collection of mini-series that fill in the gaps between stories in the original run of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby's X-Men, this run is extremely readable, and does a very good job of forming a cohesive characterisation of both Hank, the X-Men, and, particularly, Professor Xavier. You do not need to have any former knowledge of anything X-Men to read this run. Issues of Particular Note: (2006) #8; the meeting of Hank and Gorilla Man, who have a cute dynamic, and if you like Gorilla Man, you should read Agents of Atlas by Parker as well. (2007) #4; the foundation of Hank's friendship with Bobby Drake, aka Iceman. These two were thick as thieves all the way up until the late 00s. Giant-Sized Special; a collection of short fun little stories with varying art styles, featuring Hank on small solo adventures or in duos with the other X-Men. Finals #2; Hank deciding to leave the X-Men, and become his own man.

X-Men: Season One by Dennis Hopeless is a standalone graphic novel that aims to retell the early days of the X-Men from the perspective of Jean Grey, and features Hank fairly prominently. If you want to be more up to code on early X-Men history without dealing with issues of the 60s run, this would be a good place to do it.

And of course, Uncanny X-Men vol. 1. While I would not advise reading this run in its entirety, dipping your toe in to get some appreciation for what 60s comics were like and how far we've come isn't an awful idea. Issues of Particular Note: #7 Hank is momentarily abducted by a beatnik foot cult. No notes, this is just a funny situation that Hank ends up in. #8; one of the first instances of anti-mutant hysteria in an X-Men book, the first time Hank left the X-Men, and also the origin of his short career as a professional wrestler. #47; Hank and Bobby go on a double date with their girlfriends and get interrupted by superhero shenanigans.

Grey

With Hank having now left the X-Men, he has a rendezvous with destiny, and while this is going to be a very short period on our reading list, it's a very formative one for young Hank.

Amazing Adventures #11-17, by Gerry Conway, Steve Englehart, and Arnold Drake. Honestly, just read this entire run - you basically get a very well contained story that delves into Hank at a very young age, and while this may be a series from the 1970s, it's actually surprisingly modern in its approach to Hank as a character. It's also interesting to see the introduction of a more horror/wolfman aspect to Hank's character, which is largely due to the contemporary popularity of Werewolf-by-Night. It all caps off with issue #17, which collects a number of back-up stories that originally came from Uncanny X-Men, that tell Hank's origin in its uncondensed form. If you started with Carey's Origins book, these story beats will be very familiar, but it's interesting to see what parts were cut and which were preserved.

A companion story that goes back and revisits this very interesting period of Hank's life can be found in X-Men Unlimited vol. 2 #10, as one of the two stories contained there. Sliding somewhere in between issues of Amazing Adventures, it provides a modern emotional context for Hank's transformation, and I feel obliged to warn you that this is a very heavy story. If stories about depression, radiation sickness, or familial death are triggering for you, approach with caution.

Avengers

As you may have noticed, Hank has now changed from grey to his more familiar blue! This is due to printing limitations of the time, where attempts to render black or grey often ended up producing a shade that looked closer to blue. But enough of that malarkey, let's talk about everyone's favourite Bouncing Baby Blue Beast!

Avengers vol. 1, by . . . so many writers, but the most significant include Jim Shooter, Gerry Conway, Steve Englehart, David Michelinie, Bill Mantlo, etc. As the first X-Man to cross teams, Hank made history, and he quickly settled in nicely to the bitchy, high octane, absolutely bonkers world of 70s Marvel. Among other things, this is where he forms lifelong friendships with Carol Danvers, Steve Rogers, and, perhaps most importantly, Simon Williams. Honestly, this entire run has its ups and downs, but I'd recommend reading it from start to finish, just because it's fun, and Hank is so much fun in it. If you're more used to buzzkill Beast from the modern era, you'll be shocked at just how much of a kind-hearted goof he is here. Although, maybe skip the Korvac Saga. Issues of Particular Note: #137, which features Hank's initial tryout for the Avengers, with some story beats that will have particular resonance if you read Amazing Adventures or X-Men Unlimited, recommended above. #141, which sees the beginning of the origins of Patsy Walker, who you might know better as Hellcat, and who will become an important part of our story later. #148, which sees Hank embrace his disguise gimmick - while pretty much abandoned from this point on, it was arguably never going to get better than the trick he pulls here. Avengers Annual #6, which sees the origins of Hank and Simon's wonder-ful relationship. Whether you read them as friends or more, it really is a ton of fun to see just how quickly they glom onto each other as partners. #160 digs a little deeper into Hank's dynamic on the Avengers, and, if you aren't doing a full readthrough, this provides an interesting perspective on what Hank brings to the team, which is paid off in #163 and #164. Can you guess what it is? Yep . . . sex symbol. This is the origin of Hank McCoy, original mutant fuck machine, baybeeee. #171 sees Hank speaking Latin, being kind of a shit to Ms. Marvel, and being called a slut by Thor, which is kind of amazing, tbh. But Hank then proceeds to disappear for a bit, dodging the really rather awful Korvac Saga, so if you want to read more about our boy, you can jump right ahead to #178, where they make up for his brief absence by psychologically torturing him! Yeah! Love it! Next big issue of note is #188, where the Avengers get political, Hank gets to hold Ms. Marvel's laser gatling gun backpack, and press his nose against a plane window like a small child (it's better than I'm making it sound)! #194 has Hank at his best, to be quite honest, and is an all around nice little slice of life, quiet issue for the Avengers, for those of you who miss such things in comics. #206 features Hank speaking every language he knows for an entire issue, on . . . well, honestly, not even a dare, he just does it. #209, meanwhile is . . . heavy. Trigger warnings for the Shoah, the Holocaust, concentration camps, and a lot of dark subject matter, but it does showcase Hank at arguably his most heroic and his most tender. And then, finally, we reach the end of Hank's tenure with the Avengers, at #211, where . . . well, honestly? He leaves because his boyfriend is leaving. There's no other way to interpret it, that's just the text. He'll of course join the Avengers again, and is always active as a reservist, but for now, he's to move on to greener, more defensive pastures. In between these appearances, it's also worth checking out the absolutely iconic Dark Phoenix Saga. If you think you know this story from the adaptations in X-Men 3 or Dark Phoenix, trust me, you don't - this is the real story, as it should always have been. Hank only joins in on the story in the last third, but if you ever doubted his commitment to the X-Men, his friends, or the ideals of justice, look no further. And guess what, it's just a damned good story, starting at Uncanny X-Men #129 and going on to #138.

Hank also makes guest appearances in Uncanny X-Men #111 to #114, where he first properly meets the second generation of X-Men, though as you'll see, it's far from the most orderly or normal of introductions. For those of you who don't know about Chris Claremont and his predilections, you will learn - great writer, absolutely fundamental to the X-Men, but . . . hoo boy.

That's what I've got for you for the moment! I will be adding the next sections as separate posts, so that this doesn't get too long - feel free to check back here, or just keep your eyes peeled in the Hank McCoy tag, so that you don't miss the next section, as we move into the 80s proper! Also, I may be adding new issues here and there, as I remember things, so check back if you want to hear more about Beast's early years!

First || Next || Last

[cantsayidont]

July 1983 to October 1986. In 1983, DC lured Doug Moench away from Marvel and books like MASTER OF KUNG FU and MOON KNIGHT to take over BATMAN and DETECTIVE COMICS under the editorship of Len Wein. Their run, which lasted 40 months, was the final phase of the Bronze Age Batman continuity; although it continued for some months after the end of CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS, everything through DETECTIVE COMICS #566 and BATMAN #400 is functionally part of pre-Crisis continuity, in particular most anything to do with Jason Todd becoming the second Robin. (Jason debuted during the end of Gerry Conway's run in early 1983, but it was Moench and Wein who oversaw Jason's actually becoming Robin.)

From 1981 to 1986, there was a tight continuity between BATMAN and DETECTIVE COMICS: a story begun in one book would continue in the other two weeks later. This was something new for Batman; there had been occasional multi-issue storylines for years, and Steve Englehart and Len Wein had introduced a certain amount of Marvel-style continuity in the late '70s, but having around 40 story pages per month allowed more room for character-driven stories, supporting characters, and subplots. When Doug Moench arrived, a central focus was on leading up to Jason Todd becoming Robin, but there were also numerous other major and minor subplots, from Alfred's attempts to connect with his adult daughter, Julia Remarque (introduced by Conway in 1981), to Gotham's messy city politics and various deadly underworld power struggles.

In MASTER OF KUNG FU, Moench's signature storytelling preoccupation had been "kinky weirdos hurting each other's feelings," and his initial run on the Bat-books also featured a series of messy, sometimes bloody romantic triangles, the most important of which involved Batman; the now-reformed Catwoman; Nocturna (Natalia Knight), a pretentious Goth burglar who attempted to adopt Jason Todd; and Nocturna's adoptive brother Anton, who became a cat burglar out of deranged obsession with Natalia and later tried to kill her so no one else could have her. It was all very grandiose and inevitably somewhat florid, but then expecting gritty, understated realism from a comic book about a man who fights crime dressed as a bat is itself pretty silly.

The strongest story in this run actually has little to do with that soap opera: "What Price the Prize?" in BATMAN #372, is an intelligent, grounded drama about an up-and-coming young Irish boxer maneuvering for a bout with a Black champion obviously inspired by Muhammad Ali, featuring some of Don Newton's finest Batman art; the conclusion in DETECTIVE #539 isn't quite as sharp, but is still one of Moench's best. Other highlights include a clash with Catman (BATMAN #371/DETECTIVE #538) in which Thomas Blake's determined belief in the magical power of his costume nearly gets both him and Batman killed over and over; a wistful story about the private life and hidden depths of boorish Harvey Bullock (DETECTIVE #549); a delightful one-shot (BATMAN #383) in which Batman repeatedly tries and fails to get some sleep; the debut of Black Mask (BATMAN #385–386 and DETECTIVE #553); a comedic tale of Batman and Catwoman on an actual date, in costume (BATMAN #392); and a distinctly '80s-Bondian espionage adventure reuniting Moench and artist Paul Gulacy (BATMAN #393–394).

Artistically, the run got off to a good start with Don Newton on BATMAN (inked by Alfredo Alcala) and Gene Colan on DETECTIVE (generally inked by Bob Smith). Newton's departure in 1984 hurt, leading to a period of artistic musical chairs and some really bad early Pat Broderick art, followed by Tom Mandrake taking over BATMAN. Mandrake gets a bad rap in some quarters, mostly because his style is looser (and about two steps further in the direction of Gene Colan) than many comics fans care to tolerate, but his work here is mostly fine, and certainly an improvement over Broderick's. The Annual has some very nice early Denys Cowan pencils, inked by Alcala, and BATMAN #400 is an all-star extravaganza art-wise.

Maddeningly, DC has never properly reprinted a lot of this material, which I think is badly overdue. If it's not as epochal as some more familiar periods both before and after, the median level of quality is pretty decent (and certainly no worse than the 1987–1991 period, which has now been reprinted in its entirety); its emphasis on characterization wouldn't be matched again in the Batman titles for many years. Denny O'Neil supposedly hated much of what Moench had done (Moench has said O'Neil especially loathed Nocturna, whom he flatly refused to revive in any form), but Denny is dead now, and in any case, his Batman stories include their share of stinkers as well as gems. I don't know that DC has any kind of real reprint strategy anymore, but I hope they won't wait until Doug Moench is dead to properly remaster and collect these issues. Doing them all (BATMAN #360–400 and Annual #10, DETECTIVE #527–567) in something akin to Marvel's Epic Collection format would probably take four volumes — there's around 1,800 pages of material, more if you include Moench's Superman/Batman stories from WORLD'S FINEST — but why not?

[the-gershomite]

Conan the Barbarian Annual #3 -January 1977-

"Beast From the Abyss" based on the story "Black Abyss" by Robert E. Howard

script by Steve Englehart

art by Howard Chaykin

[keycomicbooks]

FANTASTIC FOUR #305 (1987) Ron Frenz and Joe Sinnott Cover, Steve Englehart Story, John Buscema Pencils, Joe Sinnott Inker

#FANTASTICFOUR #305 (1987) #RonFrenz and #JoeSinnott Cover, #SteveEnglehart Story, #JohnBuscema Pencils "All in the Family!" Torch vs. Thing! 'NUFF SAID!  https://www.rarecomicbooks.fashionablewebs.com/FantasticFour%203.html#305 @rarecomicbooks Website Link In Bio Page If Applicable. SAVE ON SHIPPING COST - NOW AVAILABLE FOR LOCAL PICK UP IN DELTONA, FLORIDA #RareComicBooks #KeyComicBooks #MCU #MarvelComics #MarvelUniverse #KeyComic #ComicBooks

[wanderingmind867]

Steve Englehart took Mantis and had her make a guest appearance as Willow in the Justice League of America comic. But he missed an even funnier opportunity: What if Willow actually became a Justice League member? Then Mantis would have had the honour of being probably the only character to be both an Avenger and Justice League member. And that would have made her iconic.

So if my Justice League Canada ideas ever go anywhere, I'm going to make add this to my concept. And if I can't make it go anywhere, I'll just keep sharing the ideas hoping someone else does something with it. Mantis should be both an Avenger and Justice League member. It's too funny not to have it happen.

[evilhorse]

We shall call you Captain America, son!

[ariel-seagull-wings]

@stickypersonaearthquake @imperiuswrecked @thealmightyemprex @themousefromfantasyland @professorlehnsherr-almashy

"This happens with John Byrne a lot. Most fans have just accepted that Byrne has one idea of continuity: his. If he returns to a book (such as The Avengers) that he previously wrote, expect all of the characters to immediately return to the characterizations and stories he was writing when he left, as if all of the ensuing continuity and characterization had simply not happened. Whether this is a good thing or a really terrible thing generally varies on the title, how Byrne wrote it originally, what happened since he wrote it, and whether you're a big fan of John Byrne or not.

When John Byrne took over Star Brand back in The '80s, he proceeded to launch one Take That! after another at the departing figure of ousted Marvel Comics editor-in-chief Jim Shooter. Star Brand was one of the Shooter-initiated The New Universe titles, and was the one that Shooter himself wrote personally. Byrne not only took ad hominem shots at Shooter personally, but had exposition characters hang lampshades on how implausible the events of Shooter's run was, and how stupid the protagonist Ken Connell had been. Early on in Byrne's run, Connell's girlfriend (a major cast member) got killed off; Connell later broke down and tried to get rid of his powers, destroying Pittsburgh (the hometown of both Connell and Shooter) in the process. This was referred to slightly in the Untold Tales of the New Universe story "Tales of the Mulletverse".

In the '80s, John Byrne had grown tired of Magneto's status quo as an Anti-Hero, and wanted him to fall from grace and return to a life of villainy. To achieve this, he and Walt Simonson wrote a story where he did indeed turn back into a villain, and released the New Mutants from his tutelage to boot. Chris Claremont was not at all amused by this, so he responded by writing a story that revealed Magneto was only pretending to be a villain so that he would draw negative attention away from the other mutants of the world.

One reason there's bad blood between John Byrne and Peter David has to do with Lockjaw, The Inhumans' dog. As created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, Lockjaw was just a very large, mutated dog with a normal canine intelligence level. Byrne later wrote a Thing issue in which Lockjaw spoke for the first time, begging that baby Luna not be subjected to the Terrigen Mists, since their effects weren't always pretty — implying that he was a full-fledged Inhuman like the others, and the Inhumans had always treated Lockjaw as an animal solely because he looked like one. Thus Peter David revealed that Lockjaw's "speech" had been a prank on Ben Grimm. (As he tells it, this was a request from editorial; David himself didn't have a problem with the scene and wrote his retcon so that it was possible it was Quicksilver that was lying.) This fixed the problems with Byrne's story, but now the Inhumans were Jerkasses for a different reason: pranking Grimm in the middle of an important debate, at Lockjaw's expense. Fans of the Byrne story remain sore about this... and others remain sore about the Byrne story.

When John Byrne took over as writer on the West Coast Avengers, a title previously written by Steve Englehart, he proceeded to undermine four years' worth of characterization. Hawkeye went from confident leader to sidelined jerk. The Vision and Wonder Man relationship, that had evolved into a bond of close fraternity, returned to one of jealous contention. Tigra went through almost the exact same story arc of losing control of herself and succumbing to her feline side that Engelhart had put her through and seemingly resolved. And the Vision and Scarlet Witch marriage... was altered. After the Vision lost his emotions, their children were discovered to be pieces of the devil, after which The Scarlet Witch went insane. For some reason Byrne decided to hit the Reset Button and return the characters to a status they had outgrown in over a decade of stories. Some have accused Byrne of wrecking a title that Englehart had arguably made a success out of resentment over how Englehart had written the Fantastic Four, a title John Byrne had made a hit, although it is just as likely a case of Creative Differences.

On the other hand, Byrne's portrayal of Iron Man in Avengers West Coast (and later in Shellhead's own book) stayed fairly close to how Bob Layton and David Michelinie had portrayed him, although he did remove the weapons-testing aspect from Tony's origin story. He also kept team newcomer U.S. Agent pretty much in line with how Mark Gruenwald wrote him in Captain America.

Byrne & Chris Claremont had a feud of sorts in the 1980's, which started when Claremont wrote X-Men #145 where Arcade basically punks Doom and the X-Men force him to apologize, followed by a later story where Lilandra of the Shi'ar gives Reed Richards a "The Reason You Suck" Speech for saving Galactus' life. Byrne responded by later revealing that the Doom that dealt with Arcade was Actually a Doombot, and had Doom admit that the X-Men weren't even worth his time. Later, in FF #264, Reed was on trial for saving Galactus and was told by basically every cosmic being in the Marvel Universe that yes, he was 100% right in saving his life."

(TV TROPES: ARMED WITH CANON/MARVEL COMICS)

[scarletwitching]

This is a well-timed question since I recently saw someone say Wanda is a Virgo and had the most ?????? reaction of my life. (Fun fact: Vision is a Virgo in 616.)

How do you know Vision's zodiac sign? Is there an official date for his birthday? Creationday?

Avengers vol. 1 #135; story: Steve Englehart; art: George Tuska; inks: Frank Chiaramonte; lettering: John Costanza; coloring: George Roussos

Virgo Vision confirmed. Just ignore the sliding timescale of it all.