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This issue: SUPERHERO STAND-INS! r 2019

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John Stewart Green Lantern • James Rhodes Iron Man U.S. Agent • Azrael • and Hollywood Superman Gregory Reed with ADAMS, BATES, GIBBONS, MARZ, MICHELINIE, O’NEIL, SIMONSON, THOMAS & more

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BETA RAY BILL!

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IT’S HAMMER TIME WITH

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Beta Ray Bill Thor TM & © Marvel Characters, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

be Decem

Volume 1, Number 117 December 2019 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Michael Eury Comics’ Bronze Age and Beyond!

PUBLISHER John Morrow DESIGNER Rich Fowlks COVER ARTIST Walter Simonson (Produced in 2009 as a gift for William Klein.)

COVER COLORIST Glenn Whitmore COVER DESIGNER Michael Kronenberg PROOFREADER Rob Smentek SPECIAL THANKS Neal Adams Cary Bates Simon Bullivant John Byrne Sergio Cariello Kevin Dooley Kieron Dwyer Rich Fitter Stephan Friedt Grand Comics Database Tom Grindberg Cully Hamner Karl Heitmueller, Jr. Heritage Comics Auctions Dan Johnson Barry Kitson Ed Lute Ralph Macchio Howard Mackie Elliot S! Maggin Marvel Comics

Ron Marz Fabian Nicieza Luigi Novi Patrick Olliffe Dennis O’Neil Roger Robinson Bob Rozakis Philip Schweier Walter Simonson Bryan D. Stroud Thomas Tenney Dann Thomas Roy Thomas Michael Zeno

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BACKSEAT DRIVER: Editorial by Michael Eury . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 FLASHBACK: Becoming His Own Hero: John Stewart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 The character’s evolution from a substitute Green Lantern to a major player BEYOND CAPES: Superman’s Stand-In, Gregory Reed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 The DC Universe’s ultimate typecast character FLASHBACK: James Rhodes: the Essential Stand-In Superhero . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 He’s Tony Stark’s pal, a surrogate Iron Man, and much, much more PRINCE STREET NEWS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Cartoonist Karl Heitmueller, Jr. takes his jabs at superhero stand-ins FLASHBACK: Beta Ray Bill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 A chronological ’80s and ’90s history of the Stormbreaker-wielding monster-Thor BRING ON THE BAD GUYS: Agent of Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 John Walker’s evolution from villain Super-Patriot to fill-in Captain America to U.S.Agent FLASHBACK: The Coming of Azrael . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 This avenging angel stood where the Dark Knight fell BACK TALK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 Reader reactions on issues #110–112 BACK ISSUE™ is published 8 times a year by TwoMorrows Publishing, 10407 Bedfordtown Drive, Raleigh, NC 27614. Michael Eury, Editor-in-Chief. John Morrow, Publisher. Editorial Office: BACK ISSUE, c/o Michael Eury, Editor-in-Chief, 112 Fairmount Way, New Bern, NC 28562. Email: euryman@gmail.com. Eight-issue subscriptions: $89 Economy US, $135 International, $36 Digital. Please send subscription orders and funds to TwoMorrows, NOT to the editorial office. Cover art by Walter Simonson. Beta Ray Bill Thor TM & © Marvel. All Rights Reserved. All characters are © their respective companies. All material © their creators unless otherwise noted. All editorial matter © 2019 Michael Eury and TwoMorrows. ISSN 1932-6904.

Printed in China. FIRST PRINTING.

Superhero Stand-Ins Issue • BACK ISSUE • 1

When people think of a replacement or substitute, they might think of someone who is maybe not quite as good as the original. In the case of John Stewart, the man who was intended to be the backup for Hal Jordan as a Green Lantern of Earth, that might have been the case starting out, but as time passed, the character has grown into his own man. More than that, he has grown into his own hero. The process hasn’t been quick and it wasn’t painless. John Stewart started out as a young black man who felt like the system was against him. As Hal Jordan noted in John’s first appearance, John challenged authority and wasn’t the type of person who would just fall in line. Indeed, John served as a reflection of the anger and frustration black youth felt towards the establishment of the early 1970s.

Because of personal tragedies and mistakes he made along the way as a Green Lantern, John Stewart has grown over the course of several decades as various writers and artists have added to his story and molded him into one of the most layered characters in the DC Universe. No longer an angry young man, John is now a seasoned warrior and leader.

So don’t ever call John Stewart the “backup” Green Lantern. Just call him Green Lantern.

IN THE BEGINNING…

by

Dan Johnson

John Stewart was created by the legendary comics team of Denny O’Neil and Neal Adams. He made his first appearance in Green Lantern/Green Arrow #87 (Dec. 1971–Jan. 1972) during that book’s historic “relevance” run when its creators tackled such timely social topics as pollution, overpopulation, and drug abuse.

With John Stewart, O’Neil and Adams addressed the need to bring more diversity and equal representation of African-American characters to comic books. The process began thanks to a conversation between Neal Adams and his editor.

“I was sitting with [Green Lantern editor Julius] ‘Julie’ Schwartz and I was talking about the idea of doing another Green Lantern,” said Adams in a previous interview for BACK ISSUE, in issue #8, the Black Superheroes issue. “I said, ‘Let me ask you a question, Julie. If you were to do another Green Lantern, do you think you would make him a white guy?’ Julie said yes, he thought so, to sell comics. ‘Why are you asking?’ I said, ‘Well, you have a Green Lantern who came to Earth, Abin Sur, and he was going to die.

So he sent out the ring and the ring was to find the most noble and bravest guy on Earth to become Green Lantern. It makes sense to me that it would find Hal Jordan. Hal Jordan was a test pilot, who under various people’s tutelage seemed to have been a pretty good fella. Then the ring went out and found a replacement [for Hal] and it turned out that this replacement, Guy Gardner, happened to be a white, Anglo-Saxon Protestant, blond-haired gym teacher.

Now this has to be straining the edge of credulity here that the second best guy on Earth [to become

The New Green Lantern Move over, Hal Jordan… John Stewart’s the ring-man now! Dave Gibbons’ gut-punching cover art to Green Lantern #183 (Dec. 1984).

TM & © DC Comics.

Superhero Stand-Ins Issue • BACK ISSUE • 3

Fearless John Stewart’s landmark first appearance, in the O’Neil/Adams classic, Green Lantern/Green Arrow #87 (Dec. 1971– Jan. 1972).

TM & © DC Comics.

a Green Lantern] is a white guy. It seemed to me that if Julie, in his generation’s innocence, asked why. I said, the ring was going to go out a third time, I don’t ‘Julie, that’s a slave name. I don’t think you think it’s going to find a white, Anglocould find a more slave name than Lincoln Washington.’ There were black guys in Saxon Protestant guy, it’s going to find an Oriental guy or a black guy. The gist America then who were changing their of my question to Julie was, ‘Can’t we names to Muslim names to avoid slave find a black Green Lantern?’” names, I explained. Julie asked me From this conversation came what I thought his name ought to John Stewart, who was destined to be. I said, ‘I don’t know if you help change DC Comics as its first want to go to the Muslim thing, African-American superhero. As it but just give him a regular name, was, John was originally going to be like John Stewart, that would be a really good name.” named Lincoln Washington until Adams took issue with the moniker Adams also suggested John’s with editor Schwartz. “I got the first profession, one that helped establish neal adams pages of the script, [and the story him even more as a realistic, grounded was originally about] this fellow character. “I had originally asked © Luigi Novi / named ‘Lincoln Washington,’” Wikimedia Commons. that he be made an architect,” stated explained Adams. “I [went to Julie] Adams. “[And that he] be given a and said, ‘I’m having a little trouble with this name.’ profession that anyone who is black would look at it and say, ‘Yeah, I could buy that.’”

With a realistic name and occupation in place, John Stewart was at last ready to break new ground.

“Neal and I were kind of aware that we were pushing the envelope a bit,” said writer Denny O’Neil in that same edition of BACK ISSUE. “I think it was just a consensus between us and Julie Schwartz that we needed a black character. The rationale for being a Green Lantern made it very easy to create an AfricanAmerican Green Lantern because there is no reason a guy like that couldn’t get the ring.”

KEEPING THINGS REAL

While O’Neil did a fine job giving life to John in his first appearance, he did wonder if he was the right man for the task. “Ideally, of course, [John] would have been written by a black writer, but there were virtually none in the field back then,” said O’Neil. “I always feel a little awkward when I’m doing an ethnic character because it’s not Irish Catholic, but sometimes you have to do what you have to do.” In the end, O’Neil did just fine and it is generally agreed upon that John faired better as a character than some of the African-American heroes that would follow him. O’Neil and Adams kept things real by, well, keeping John real.

“There are also artists who, when they draw black people, draw a standard face,” said Adams. “They have a face they think of and many of the things they do are controlled by their desire not to offend. In fact, some of these artists are Afro-American themselves.

That’s why my John Stewart looks unique and singular and like no other black face I have done. I ran into a couple other problems when I did John Stewart.

Julie mentioned I was doing [John’s] lips a little big.

I said to Julie, ‘You know, one of the things about an African’s face is that their lips tend to be big, that’s not a bad thing. Their noses are broad too, and that’s not a bad thing. No offense, but many people in America, and many people around the world, have a really bad standard of beauty. It’s what I see [as an artist], and that’s the way it’s supposed to be. Putting thick lips on John Stewart was the right thing to do. They weren’t overly thick; they were handsomely thick. He was a very handsome guy, John Stewart.”

Adams went on to tell BACK ISSUE how his demand for a realistic look for John helped DC see the light in how they had been presenting people of color for a long time in their comics and make a change to a very grievous practice. “DC Comics had this rule that said if someone had dark skin, you were supposed to color them YR2B2,” said Adams. “That’s solid yellow, red 25% 4 • BACK ISSUE • Superhero Stand-Ins Issue

ADAMS HAD IT COVERED

The issue of Green Lantern/Green Arrow that featured John’s debut is a real standout due to the cover by Neal Adams that featured an angry John Stewart, his ring poised to take on a threat that had taken down Hal Jordan and proclaiming, “They whipped the Green Lantern -- Now let ’em try me!” As it was, the printed cover was the artist’s second go at the iconic image and the first was one that he felt needed to be rejected himself. “I did that cover over because I didn’t like the [first] drawing,” said Adams. “I just wanted it to be a very strong cover. [The new] cover was essentially this new Green Lantern taking over after [Hal Jordan] has collapsed and is unconscious and [John’s] standing over him, flashing his green ring, protecting him.”

As it was, Neal realized early on how important this cover was going to be and he knew the audience he had in mind while creating it. “It’s an indication of the kind of story that I wanted to do and the kind of story on the inside,” said Adams. “If I were a black kid reading that comic book, and I saw that cover, I’d get it and I’d keep it. The first try was essentially the same, but I didn’t draw it very well. I rejected it myself.”

The second cover perfectly reflected John and his attitude. In the story, as he becomes a Green Lantern, John refuses to wear a masking proclaiming, “This black man lets it all hang out! I’ve got nothing to hide!”

Despite the initial friction, John does prove he has the right stuff to be a Lantern, and by story’s end he has gained Hal’s trust and respect.

THE WILDERNESS YEARS

Sadly, it would be a while before readers got to see John in action again. After his debut, he would have to wait over two years for his second outing when he teamed up with the JLA in Justice League of America #110 (Mar.–Apr. 1974). This time he was written by

Back in Action Len Wein. O’Neil would write John Stewart again in his third appearance, but sadly that took even longer to come about and John wouldn’t return again until a two-part story in Green Lantern/Green Arrow #94– 95 (May–July 1977). Afterwards, John only appeared in a handful of Green Lantern comics and Justice League of America Annual #1 (1983).

COMING INTO HIS OWN

While John Stewart would only turn up occasionally throughout the 1970s and the early the 1980s, his time to shine was eventually coming and when it did, he would be used to full effect. It began when Hal Jordan gave up the role of Green Lantern and John was made the official protector of the Sector 2814 in Green Lantern #182 (Nov. 1984). John would serve as the official Green Lantern until Green Lantern #200 (May 1986).

In these issues, John went toe-to-toe with such bad guys as Major Disaster, Eclipso, and Sonar. It was also during this run that John would be given training in being a Green Lantern by the alien Katma Tui, who would eventually become his wife.

Wein, as Green Lantern scribe, accompanied by the unmatchable Dave Gibbons (our BI #123 cover artist, by the way), enlist John Stewart into GL service in issue #182 (Nov. 1984).

TM & © DC Comics.

Superhero Stand-Ins Issue • BACK ISSUE • 7

by

Philip Schweier

There’s no denying the impact The Adventures of Superman (1952–1958) has had in the comic-book world. The TV show has been broadcast continuously for decades, cultivating generations of Superman fans.

For many, actor George Reeves was their first exposure to the Man of Steel.

“For me and millions of other kids in the 1950s,” says long-time Superman writer Cary Bates, “Reeves became an icon who embodied all the noble and heroic traits that defined Superman. His image was so unassailable, none of us seemed to notice our Man of Steel was in fact a slightly paunchy 40-something man wearing shoulder pads.”

Bates’ frequent compadre in the comic-book trenches, Elliot S! Maggin, agrees. Throughout the 1970s, they wrote many of the Man of Steel’s adventures. “Reeves brought interpretations and nuance to the character of which only Superman’s creators had been aware before.

He was a consummate actor, living every bit as much in any given moment as a gifted stage performer— and playing a character who just didn’t occur in nature to boot. Not many people can pull off a role like that.”

A STAR IS BORN

In 1972, Reeves’ influence made its way to Superman’s comic-book world, in the form of supporting player Gregory Reed. The thinly veiled homage to Reeves was the product of late night meetings at the Hilltop Diner in Queens, where Bates and Maggin shared story ideas.

“We worked closely like that from the time Cary got an apartment a block away from mine and for a couple of years after that,” Maggin says, though he offers the lion’s share of Reed’s development to Bates. “Cary used the character first, so obviously it’s his creation.”

In Action Comics #414 (July 1972), Bates wrote “Superman vs. Superstar,” with art by Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson. The story opens with a would-be bank robber challenging the Man of Steel. However, when an escaped tiger approaches, Superman panics, until a second Superman arrives to handle the big cat.

It is quickly revealed the robbery scene is just that— a scene from a movie being filmed. Gregory Reed, the costumed actor, retires to his trailer, angry at being upstaged by the real Superman.

Reed had built a film career as the Man of Steel, but was disfigured when a stunt went tragically wrong.

The studio managed to keep his scars a secret, and thanks to a lot of Hollywood makeup and costuming, portraying Superman is Reed’s only career option. Blaming Superman for derailing his life and career, the embittered actor seeks out the dark powers of magic. He lures Superman to his home to apologize for his earlier rude behavior, and uses sorcery to trap Superman and exchange bodies.

Now gifted with superhuman abilities, he’s ready to trade lives with the weakened hero, leaving Superman to continue the life of a disfigured movie star.

Caught in the Act Action Comics #414 (July 1972), introducing the DC Universe’s Superman actor, Gregory Reed. Cover by Nick Cardy.

TM & © DC Comics.

Superhero Stand-Ins Issue • BACK ISSUE • 13

The Clothes Make the (Super)Man Black magic allows Reed to swap places with, then humiliate, Superman in Action #414.

By Bates, Swan, and Anderson.

TM & © DC Comics.

But Superman notices a magic symbol on the palm of his (formerly Reed’s) hand, and deduces the mind switch happened as a result of them shaking hands.

When Reed is unable to control his new powers, the ceiling collapses, trapping Superman beneath the rubble. He reaches out to Reed, who instinctively takes Superman’s hand to pull him to safety, causing their minds to switch back to their proper bodies. After subduing his foe, Superman promises to use Kryptonian science to heal Reed’s weakened form.

A SEQUEL

Three years later, Reed returned in Action Comics #445 (Mar. 1975). Superman has made good on his promises to help heal Reed in mind and body, and the actor now proudly embraces the role for which he is famous.

Maggin recalls Reed’s redemption came about as a result of encounters with people who were involved with the old TV show. “The story was that George committed suicide because supposedly he was typecast and depressed about his career,” he explains. “It turns out that was just something his friends agreed they’d say to

justify this fictional suicide. He was generally a happy, accomplished guy with only good things on the horizon for his career. Cary and I learned this, and consequently we changed the character’s attitude so it better reflected George Reeves’ outlook.”

“Count Ten, Superman—and Die,” was written by Bates, with art by Curt Swan and Kurt Schaffenberger.

Clark Kent attends a presentation by Reed at the Metropolis Civic Center. Afterward, while addressing the media outside, Reed is struck by an invisible pulse bolt, knocking him into a fountain. The genuine Superman appears, and flies the dazed actor to the hospital. The pulse bolt was fired from a spaceship of the Superman Revenge Squad, in orbit above.

The crew’s leader reprimands his subordinate for targeting an impostor, a mistake he quickly corrects.

As Superman uses his powers, the pulse bolt will gradually poison him. He handles several crises and near-catastrophes, while Reed seemingly lies comatose in the hospital. Clark’s seeming lack of emotional control is attributed to the side effects of the pulse bolt.

Eventually, Superman saves a boy fallen from a high-rise.

Upon landing, he collapses, apparently dead, and the Superman Revenge Squad leaves orbit for home.

To no surprise, Superman is not dead. Thanks to a pill that will temporarily give humans Kryptonian powers, he and Reed shared super-duties, giving the poison time to drain harmlessly from his body. Learning of the failure, the Superman Revenge Squad destroys their comrades’ spaceship upon their return to base.

Reed’s next appearance came in Superman #297 (Mar. 1976), chapter two of a four-part story crafted

by Maggin and Bates. In “Clark Kent Forever…

Superman Never,” Superman appears to have lost his powers, permitting Clark to lead a normal, human life. Unfortunately, there are plenty of emergencies that require a hero’s attention, such as an unruly mob on the verge of becoming a riot. Though subdued by a familiar red and blue figure, the man wearing the cape isn’t Superman. Gregory Reed bravely faces the angry people, using his own powers of oratory and delivery to calm them.

SUMMER BLOCKBUSTERS

By 1977, production of Superman: The Movie starring Christopher Reeve was underway, and Gregory Reed became a popular supporting player in the Superman titles. “Most of what we did with our stories was a product of whatever we were thinking about at the time,” explains Maggin. “I think probably our imaginations were fed by the prospect of a new guy playing Superman in such a high-profile environment.”

Reed made four appearances in as many titles, beginning with Action Comics #469 (Mar. 1977).

“The Night Superman was Buried in Boot Hill” was written by Bates, with art by Curt Swan and Tex Blaisdell.

In the first half of a two-part story, Terra-Man returns to Metropolis to challenge the Last Son of Krypton. Night after night, the citizens of Metropolis watch Terra-Man defeat Superman on television. Meanwhile, producers of the latest Superman film raise the question of continuing to promote a hero who appears less than heroic. But that soon becomes the least of the public’s worries when Terra-Man sends Superman to his grave.

Part Two, entitled, “Even Superman Must Die Sometime!” (Action Comics #470, Apr. 1977), begins as a lone figure tosses a Superman costume into the sea.

“I have no more use for this uniform,” he says to himself.

“My career as Superman is over… finished!” For those who believing this to be Clark Kent, it is soon revealed to be Gregory Reed, mourning the demise of his hero.

14 • BACK ISSUE • Superhero Stand-Ins Issue

by

John Kirk

Heroism is the noblest state of being to which a person can aspire, but people have moments of weaknesses, flaws, and vulnerabilities. Even the most heroic person has to have a limit. So, that begs the question: What qualifies someone to be a substitute hero? There has to be a journey, and it has to start from somewhere.

James “Rhodey” Rhodes began his journey to becoming the superhero War Machine with many steps in between.

He first appeared as a reliable employee who later became a trusted friend, and though there were moments in his relationship with Tony Stark that tested their friendship, there was still trust and confidence that managed to make for entertaining and memorable stories. Rhodey’s bravery, loyalty, and the combination of other attributes like combat skills, avionics engineering knowledge, and an overall reliability that all manifested in different stages of his life give readers a sense of Rhodes’ deservedness to take on the role of Iron Man and later, War Machine.

THE “WINGMAN”

We were first introduced to James Rhodes in Iron Man #118 (Jan. 1979), co-plotted by inker Bob Layton and scripter David Michelinie and penciled by John Byrne.

This was a seemingly innocuous introduction of a minor supporting character which included a brief conversation between the pilot/engineer of Stark’s personal air transport and his boss.

It was a logical presumption that a billionaire industrialist (Stark) would have his own personal aircraft and pilot (Rhodes). john byrne Rhodes is presented as affable, confident, and not subservient. There’s a respect © Luigi Novi / Wikimedia Commons. between the two men in these first panels that signals the type of relationship they would continue to have. While a brief encounter, it was significant enough for creator John Byrne to wonder how he should be presented.

“I was kind of a mid-wife in the creation of Rhodey, so he is somewhat near and dear,” Byrne recounted in Andy Mangels’ book, Iron Man: Beneath the Armor. “I actually drew it sitting at a tiny drawing board tucked into the corner of [Iron Man editor] Roger Stern’s office. I came to the page Jim Rhodes first appeared on and I looked over at Rog and said, ‘Any reason why this guy shouldn’t be black?’

Rog liked the idea, so I drew Rhodey as a black man.”

Byrne is emphatically proud of this daring decision.

Though skin color shouldn’t have been an issue in deciding the merit of a new character, that was still a consideration in the 1970s, and the idea of a minority character, even a supporting one, could have been seen as challenging, as minority characters were still rare in comic books and the popular culture at large. Rhodey’s race was not a matter of concern for Byrne, Stern, Michelinie, or Layton, but it was still conceivable that it could present itself as one for some readers. But Rhodes was presented as not just a “Fifth Business” supporting character of marginal

The Man in the Iron Mask Rhodey begins his career as Tony Stark’s replacement in Iron Man #170 (May 1983).

Cover by Luke McDonnell and Steve Mitchell.

TM & © Marvel.

Superhero Stand-Ins Issue • BACK ISSUE • 19

Maximus staff by Zodiac. Though Tony survives and seems to accept Jim’s choice, an underlying subtext suggests Stark’s resentment. However, the subsequent dialogue indicates that Stark had accepted the outcome despite no apology from Rhodes. In fact, the preceding conversation where Stark refers to Rhodes as Iron Man would also indicate that he had resigned his decision-making capacity in favor of whatever outcome that Rhodes went with.

Tony’s return heralds a stark (no pun intended) revelation about Rhodey’s fate. It is a foregone conclusion for long-time Marvel fans that Stark should regain the mantle of Iron Man once more, but a transition awaits Rhodes before this can take place.

A FRIENDSHIP TESTED

Iron Man in Training (top) Rhodey gives himself a pep talk in these panels from Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #9. (bottom) The moment of truth with his fellow Avengers. From West Coast Avengers #4.

TM & © Marvel.

to Hawkeye that while he may not be Tony Stark, he’s no “amateur Iron Man,” reminding him of how he saved other superheroes during the Secret Wars.

Hawkeye’s comments bridle James Rhodes and strike at the heart of his insecurity, but it is an annoyance that is quickly put aside with Hawkeye’s recognition of the irony of the situation. Hawkeye has been in Rhodes’ place before, and the whole purpose of the West Coast Avengers was to address his own insecurities of leadership by giving him a chance to prove himself.

Rhodes gets the same chance to prove himself with the team. Hawkeye regrets calling Rhodey an amateur, giving Iron Man the chance to become part of the team and assert himself as a full Avenger.

THE RETURN OF TONY STARK

Despite Rhodey’s newfound confidence and his assertion that Tony is his best friend, by issue #184 (July 1984) we see the early signs of resentment between the two men. Both make incorrect assumptions, cracking their friendship and threatening to remove Rhodes from the mantle of Iron Man. Stark agrees to come on board with Morley and Clytemnestra Erwin and Rhodey, and they begin a new chapter of their lives, making their way out to California to set up Circuit Maximus.

There are hints about the growing enmity between Stark and Rhodes, expertly portrayed by writer O’Neil, subtle things like Rhodey choosing to rescue the Erwins over Stark in the attempted assassination of all of the Circuits

24 • BACK ISSUE • Superhero Stand-Ins Issue

James Rhodes’ agonizing headaches are proven to be a result of his mismatch of brainwave frequencies with the Iron Man helmet, which was personally calibrated for Tony Stark and not just generic device that Rhodey could have picked up on the fly. These headaches have a detrimental effect on Rhodey’s character and his relationships with the Circuits Maximus crew, but he focuses most of his anger at Stark. Minor irritations between best friends graduate into full animosity, representing the lowest moment in their relationship.

The first page of issue #190 (Jan. 1985) sees a particularly tense moment when Rhodes dangles a malfunctioning jet boot in front of Tony Stark, demanding, “Here… it’s broken. You wanna fix it?” O’Neil’s accompanying exposition is perfect for the scene’s “ugly words, hanging like jet fumes.” Stark’s reaction is measured, but it’s apparent that the guilt of drinking himself into an oblivious state has made him the insecure one.

With patience, he turns his attention to the boot and ignores the jibe at being the “hotshot inventor.”

It is one of the first true moments of open hostility heralded by actual physicality. After seeing a new suit of Iron Man armor Stark has been working on, Rhodes throws Stark to the ground and crunches the armor chestplate he’d been working on, and storms out. Stark declares Rhodes to be seriously disturbed and in need of help.

He knows James to be a “kind, decent, and brave” man and that this isn’t customary behavior for him.

However, with the increasing erratic nature of Rhodey’s behavior, Stark realizes that a confrontation is forthcoming.

By Iron Man #191, the new Iron Man demonstrates a colossal sense of disregard for public safety, a brashness that borders on neglect and lack of forethought.

Rhodey is dangerous, but it’s out of concern for his friend that Stark struggles with the idea of becoming Iron Man once more to stop him. Stark chooses a re-creation of his original Iron Man armor with which to confront Rhodes… a lesser-powered suit worn by a recovering alcoholic going up against his best friend in a superior suit of armor. It’s a true case of the underdog doing the right thing for the right reason, a psychological test study on the pages of a superhero comic book.

It is the value of James Rhodes’ friendship that finally propels Stark to don the suit of inferior Iron Man armor and confront him. Galvanized by Morley Erwin’s attempts to put on the suit first, Stark realizes that Rhodes is worth the effort of overcoming his identity issues and insecurities and becomes Iron Man once more in issue #191.

He confronts Rhodes on a physical and emotional level and at the end of this conflict in #192, Rhodes reveals that the source of his anger is his fear that he is going to lose the only thing that really meant something to him.

Out of enlisting in the Army, going to Viet Nam, and becoming a pilot, ever since he was a child, he only wanted to become a hero. In this issue, though not by choice, Stark is in the position to take that away from him.

by

Stephan Friedt

Beta Ray Bill has had a sporadic history as a character. Shortly after Walter Simonson’s introduction of the character in the pages of The Mighty Thor (herewith Thor), Bill was relegated to appearing only occasionally, usually in a one-page appearance giving some hint of his soap-opera-like life.

After Walt left Thor, there would be months, sometimes years, between Beta Ray Bill’s appearances… writers would use him as a secondary or background character, some leaving his condition hanging. In many instances he received no more than a cameo appearance just to keep his memory alive.

Some writers would take him to heart, devoting full stories to his interactions with other characters: Ron Marz and Mark Gruenwald come to mind, and much later in his history, Michael Avon Oeming and Dan Berman.

Bill was always intended to be a hero… but he was drawn as a monster.

structure of a beautiful animal underneath the monster to give this dichotomy between the monstrous and the beautiful in the same face.”

How did Simonson come up with the name “Beta Ray Bill”?

“I chose the name for its alliterative qualities,” he said in the Kirby Collector interview. “Originally I was going to call him ‘Beta Ray Jones,’ because I really wanted a common name. My feeling was, ‘Bill’ was ‘Everyman’ for this alien race. Whatever his real name was, it didn’t matter. It was as close as the universal translating machine could come to his real name, which was unpronounceable by human lips.

I deleted ‘Jones’ because Louise Jones was working at Marvel, they had a Rick Jones in The Hulk, they had Indiana Jones at the time; there were too many Joneses floating around the Marvel Universe.”

Walt would elaborate more at a Thor Spotlight panel at Baltimore Comic-Con (August 28, 2010), as reported by Matt McGloin of CosmicBookNews.com.

“I had done a lot of stories and had a lot of fun doing them, but a lot of them weren’t groundbreaking,” walter simonson Simonson commented. “I did want to do something IF HE BE WORTHY © Luigi Novi / Wikimedia Commons. that hadn’t been done before though.

Beta Ray Bill sprang from the mind of Walt Simonson, “One of the cool things about Thor was the enchantment around writer and artist of Thor, who rolled out the character in a four-issue adventure in issues #337–340 (Nov. 1983–Feb. 1984), in what would [the hammer] Mjolnir and the original inscription on it. So I thought, become Walt’s longest story arc at the time.

‘Well, that means someone else can pick up this hammer and get this In Jon B. Cooke’s interview the creator (“Walt Simonson Interviewed”) power if they’re worthy!’ Since then, some other big characters, in The Jack Kirby Collector #14 (June 2004), Simonson explained, people’s favorites, have picked up the hammer—Captain America, “I wanted to start fresh, and I thought a new character would be the Superman, whoever—but at this point, no one had ever picked up the way to go on that. My thinking was that comics are a short form, hammer. I liked the idea of Cap walking to the bathroom and seeing and one of the things that’s mostly true about comics is characters are it, and grabbing and just tugging, not being able to. So this had to be what they look like; the good guys are handsome, the bad guys are someone new. This is the most powerful weapon of the Norse gods.” ugly. It’s not always that way, but basically that’s what it is.

Mjolnir, of course, is as significant to Thor’s history as is the Thunder “I designed Bill deliberately as a monster, because I knew that people God himself. would look at it and go, ‘Oh, my God, it’s this evil guy.’ I deliberately Simonson went on to explain the history of the hammer: “This wrote them so you weren’t sure in the beginning if he was a good guy or hammer is a killing weapon. It’s used to kill Frost Giants and others. a bad guy. His face was designed around a horse’s skull, partly because So Superman couldn’t pick it up, because he’s never going to kill anyone, horses are quite beautiful. I thought it’d be kind of cool to have the and the hammer knows that. Captain America, he’s too patriotic.

Superhero Stand-Ins Issue • BACK ISSUE • 35

He’s too much a symbol of America to be chosen by this Norse artifact. So he couldn’t get it. So I created Bill because he’s noble, and he’s designed to kill. He’s got a great purpose as a warrior, and also the noble ability. That makes him ‘worthy,’ whatever that may be.”

At the Baltimore Comic-Con, Simonson addressed the initial reader reaction to Beta Ray Bill’s monstrous appearance.

“I got letters after the first issue that said, ‘What on Earth?

Why is this monster picking up the hammer, what’s wrong with you?’” Yet Walt’s new character, designed with “a sense of death, a sense of monster, underlined by beauty,” soon won over readers. “His costume was the same, so that the minute you see the image, when he strikes the stick and becomes ‘Beta Ray Thor’ or whatever, you know…

‘Okay, that guy has the powers of Thor.’”

IF I HAD A HAMMER

I Am Worthy, Hear Me Roar (top) Bill gets a surge of Odin Power and becomes Thor for the first time in Simonson’s Thor #337. (bottom) Bill meets Odin, in #338.

TM & © Marvel.

36 • BACK ISSUE • Superhero Stand-Ins Issue

Bill’s story starts in “Doom!” in Thor #337. Walt graced the issue with a Kirby-style cover of Bill in full Thor costume, breaking through the comic’s logo with Thor’s hammer.

The story begins with the agency S.H.I.E.L.D. detecting an alien ship in our solar system. The ship absorbs stars to refuel.

S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Nick Fury surprises Dr. Don Blake in Chicago, revealing he is well aware of Dr. Blake’s alter ego, Thor.

Fury briefs Dr. Blake, who has now returned to his Thor identity, and asks him to investigate the ship. Thor does, and after a short battle, he forces his way into the ship… only to find it empty and healing itself like a living being. Because of the intrusion the ship activates its sleeping defense—Beta Ray Bill!

Bill is as big and strong as Thor, decked out in his full battle uniform. Bill and Thor go toe-to-toe in a battle where we learn, thanks to Bill’s ongoing banter, that the ship has a name, Skuttlebutt. He also reveals that the ship has the capability to download languages and skills to Bill while he in suspended animation, thereby allowing him to understand and converse with his invader.

Thor and Bill’s hand-to-hand battle (with Thor’s hammer lying on the floor) damages the ship enough that it seeks a planet to land on for repairs, Earth being the closest candidate.

As it nears the world, the earthbound quality of Thor’s hammer Mjolnir (that it not leave Thor’s grip for more than 60 seconds or he reverts to his mortal shell of Dr. Blake) takes effect. Bill takes the opening and strikes, knocking Dr. Blake unconscious.

Skuttlebutt lands and is quickly surrounded by S.H.I.E.L.D agents. Bill notices Blake’s cane on the floor where Thor’s hammer had fallen and picks it up and swings it, striking it against the wall. He is immediately engulfed in light and becomes a Beta Ray Bill version of Thor, complete with hammer!

As Simonson explained, “We all know, if you read Thor, that ‘Whosoever holds the hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor.’ That’s on the hammer, those are the rules.

So my job as a writer is to create a character that people will be worried about. How can this guy lift the hammer? The obvious answer is, ‘Well, he must be worthy.’ But you want them to think, ‘Oh, my God, something’s gone terribly wrong.’

Maybe Simonson can’t write, or Odin’s dead, or who knows?’”

Looking like Thor, hammer and all, Bill proceeds to battle Fury and his agents, much to their surprise. But as soon as the battle begins, Odin summons his son Thor back to Asgard for an emergency, pulling Bill and Mjolnir “home” and leaving Don Blake looking lost in the commotion on Earth.

Walt again channels Jack Kirby for his cover featuring Bill and Thor going head-to-head in Thor #338 in “A Fool and His Hammer…” Finding himself transported to Asgard, a confused Bill fights against the surprised Asgardians until Odin realizes the error… and is shocked that here is another being worthy of the mantel of Thor.

Odin then calls his real son home, and offers Bill the hospitality of Asgard. Sitting on “Hlidskjalf,” the high seat, where you can see all of the nine worlds, Odin asks Bill to relate his origin.

“Ron has such a gift to pull you in and keep the reader guessing what’s up next! Ron thought visually. He would write a plot as if I had those talents from mere words interpreted into living pictures.

It compelled you to do your best!”

When asked of his preparation for the Beta Ray Bill story, Grindberg says, “Insofar as research, I had all of Walt’s work in front of me. Of course, it has distinct characteristics, which I adhered to too religiously! This was Walt’s vision, not mine… it was a thrill to take his idea and hopefully expand on it.”

Did a self-professed Simonson Thor fan feel any challenges or pressures in working with the character Beta Ray Bill? “I firmly believe as an artist that I strive for originality,” Grindberg comments, “but at the same time preserving its history… I think many an artist would feel no different given the task. I took every character I ever drew with utter respect from those who came before me.

If in some small way my efforts were appreciated by the fans, then I felt I got a passing grade. Nothing more nothing less! “[Beta Ray Bill] was a character that every bit of power Odin bestowed on his son Thor, Beta was equal in all aspects of the perfect superhero!”

Like his collaborator, Tom laments the Marz/Grindberg Thor monthly series partnership that was not allowed to happen, but emphatically states, “My experience on working on such a classic character as Thor will always remain a highlight in my career.”

CORPS VALUES

“Forged in Fire” (top) Tom Grindberg also drew Ron Marz’s lead Thor tale in Thor Annual #18.

Inks by John Nyberg.

Courtesy of Heritage. (bottom) More Thors than you can shake a hammer at on Pat Olliffe’s cover to Thor Corps #1 (Sept. 1993).

TM & © Marvel.

Beta Ray Bill would next surface in the four-issue miniseries Thor Corps #1–4 (Sept. 1993–Dec. 1993), written by Tom DeFalco and penciled by Pat Olliffe. The artist reveals to BACK ISSUE, “I drew Bill in the Thor Corps miniseries, my only recollection pat olliffe being that it was very cool to get to draw him ERBzine.com. and that I struggled to get his suit right!”

In Thor Corps #1, “A Gathering of Heroes,” we begin with Olliffe’s impressive cover of three “Thors.” The story starts with future Thor Dargo Ktor battling a new villain, Demonstaff, with little success. Beta Ray Bill returns to his home world to find it growing out of control and threatening his people. Before he can do anything, he is mysteriously transported elsewhere. We next find ourselves on Earth, following Eric Masterson, another Thor incarnation (Thunderstrike), to where Beta Ray Bill and Dargo have been transported. Once together as a trio, they are again transported… to WW II-era Earth to confront the Invaders!

Thor Corps #2’s “Gather Chaos” starts with another Olliffe cover showing the Thor Corps confronting the Invaders. Inside, a brief struggle with Captain America, Bucky, Sub-Mariner, the Human Torch, and Torch’s sidekick Toro hardly goes in favor of the Corps. Eric is pulled through a dimensional portal for a brief time to the era of Machine Man 2020 and a quick skirmish with Iron Man before he is returned to join his friends in a dimensional void. The three Thors begin jumping through various times and dimensions until the issue ends with Dargo confronting Spider-Man 2099, Beta Ray Bill confronting a version of the Guardians of the Galaxy, and Thunderstrike in Earth’s Wild West confronting Kid Colt, Rawhide Kid, and Two-Gun Kid. Thor Corps #3, “Ravaged by Reality,” begins with another Olliffe cover, this time featuring the original Thor surrounded by scenes of the Thor Corps in their individual battles.

Inside, we have each of the individual battles raging, while Demonstaff rages against reality and opening multiple time and dimension rifts, creating pain for Eternity, and materializing rifts in the realities of the Phantom Eagle, Conan, and the original X-Men, as well as the realities each of our Thors find themselves in. They manage to once again come together in one reality where their only choice is to summon the original Thor.

Thor Corps #4 is graced with a rarity in Marvel Comics, a painted cover, by Lou Harrison of all four of our Thor Corps. Inside, it takes the combined might of all four Thors to defeat Demonstaff, at which point he restores everyone to their own reality at the point that he had first taken them, for a happy ending.

44 • BACK ISSUE • Superhero Stand-Ins Issue

The 1980s were a decade of change for Marvel Comics, especially where their superheroes’ identities were concerned.

A few of the more memorable changes were when Tony Stark was replaced by James “Rhodey” Rhodes as Iron Man, Magneto replaced Professor Charles Xavier as the leader of the X-Men, and Beta Ray Bill proved he was worthy to lift the hammer Mjolnir and wield the weapon of the Mighty Thor.

In these cases, each replacement was a natural progression of the starring character, or the character showed they had what it took to replace the original.

Rhodes had been a confidant of Stark prior to suiting up, and Magneto had been friends with Xavier prior to their divide on the questions of how to handle mutant/ human relations. While at the time Beta Ray Bill was a new creation by Walt Simonson, Bill had shown that he had what it takes to wield Mjolnir and to take possession of (albeit briefly) Thor’s mantle.

However, this wasn’t the case when Steve Rogers quit the role of Captain America and was replaced by John Walker. Prior to this, Walker was the villainous Super-Patriot. Then, a strange thing happened: Not only did Walker go the heroic route even when Rogers returned to his role as the Sentinel of Liberty, but he became a mainstay of the Marvel Universe. Like Rhodey and Beta Ray Bill, Walker became a hero in his own right and remains one to this day. While Magneto’s conversion to the side of good led to a back-and-forth as opposed to a 180-degree change with the character, Walker’s change had him grow as a character and not revert to his previous ways.

So, how did a villainous character take the place of one of America’s greatest heroes? Let’s look at John Walker’s origin, how his political ideology made him an interesting and engaging character, his time as Captain America and beyond, and a look at his continued development.

VILLAINOUS BEGINNINGS

Super-Patriot [not to be confused with the Marvel villain of the same name, from 1969’s Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. #13, or Erik Larsen’s Image Comics superhero SuperPatriot, first seen in 1992—ed.] was introduced in Captain America #323 (Nov. 1986), although his real name of John Walker wasn’t revealed until almost a year later. During this premiere issue, written by longtime Captain America scribe Mark Gruenwald (1953–1996) and drawn by Paul Neary and John Beatty, John Walker, clad as Super-Patriot, was in a limousine with his agent Ethan Thurm. When Thurm pointed out an old lady getting mugged, Walker chose not to stop the crime because it wasn’t glitzy enough to make headlines.

When Captains Clash Stand-in Captain America John Walker (right) vs. his star-spangled sparring partner, the original Captain America Steve Rogers, now the Captain (left), on the Kieron Dwyer/Al Milgrom cover to Captain America #350 (Feb. 1989).

TM & © Marvel.

48 • BACK ISSUE • Superhero Stand-Ins Issue

by

Ed Lute

Later in the issue, Super-Patriot held a rally in which he promoted himself as the future of the patriotic ideal, contending that Captain America was old news. During the rally, Super-Patriot was attacked by gunmen calling themselves the Buckies (Bold Urban Commandoes).

Super-Patriot defeated the Buckies, although the attack had been staged and the Buckies were in actuality partners with Super-Patriot. The Buckies were Lemar Hoskins, Jerome “Jerry” Johnson, and Hector Lennox, although just like Walker, their real names weren’t given in this issue.

Although Super-Patriot believed in America, his views were contrary to Steve Rogers’. During an April 1988 Wonderful World of Comics interview with Joe Field, Captain America writer and Super-Patriot co-creator Mark Gruenwald stated, “I had been doing symbolic characters, like Flag-Smasher, who represents anarchy, non-nationalism, and characters of that ilk. And I realized because Captain America was the good guy, it seemed to be saying that patriotism had to be good, because he was Captain America and he was the good guy. … I wanted to show the dark side of patriotism, so I invented the character Super-Patriot to show that.”

Super-Patriot and the Buckies next appeared in Captain America #327 (Mar. 1987). This issue began with the Buckies attacking foreigners across the United States. In their first appearance, the Buckies wore masks like Captain America’s, emblazoned with the letter “A.” This time the Buckies had a “B” on their masks. After beating up a few foreigners, the Buckies got into Super-Patriot’s limo. Walker told them he wished he could have been with them, but his agent Thurm hadn’t completed the research to find out if most Americans would be in favor of their tactics or not. Captain America had been investigating the attacks on the foreigners, and it led him to Super-Patriot and the Buckies. Super-Patriot fought Captain America to a standstill.

THE ALL-NEW, ALL-DIFFERENT CAPTAIN AMERICA

Super-Patriot’s next appearance was in the classic issue Captain America #332 (Aug. 1987), written by Gruenwald and penciled

by Tom Morgan, who replaced artist Paul Neary on the series.

The Commission on Superhuman Activities had given Steve Rogers a choice to continue to work as Captain America under their authority, or to quit being Captain America. While Rogers was struggling with his decision, Super-Patriot defeated a terrorist atop the Washington Monument. The terrorist claimed he had a nuclear device that he was going to detonate. At the end of the issue, Rogers decided he didn’t want to work for the Commission, so he relinquished his Captain America role.

Steve Rogers as Captain America had long been the patriotic hero of the Marvel Universe— even before there was a “Marvel Universe,” his history dating back to comics’ Golden Age and his first appearance occurring just before Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor led the United States into World War II. Later, throughout the Silver Age, Captain America was also the longtime guiding mark gruenwald force of the Mighty Avengers. Even though Rogers gave up being Captain America, he didn’t Illustration by quit his role as a superhero. He got a new David Banegas. costume and continued the fight as “The Captain.”

While the idea of Rogers no longer being Captain America may have seemed radical in 1987, it wasn’t the first time this had happened. In the mid-1970s, writer Steve Engelhart had a disillusioned Steve Rogers hang up his red, white, and blue togs during the controversial “Secret Empire” storyline, beginning in Captain America #180 (Dec. 1974) [see BACK ISSUE #20—ed.]. Former Marvel Comics editor Ralph Macchio, who would take over Captain America from editor Dan Daley beginning with issue #335, tells BACK ISSUE, “Mark [Gruenwald] was a continuity guy. He wanted to experiment with Captain America, and I thought it was a great idea. Steve Engelhart first had Steve Rogers give up being Cap at the end of the ‘Secret Empire’ storyline. He became Nomad. This was our version of Steve Rogers giving up being Cap.”

The New Voice of America (top) Meet SuperPatriot—and the Buckies, from Captain America #323 (Nov. 1986).

By Mark Gruenwald, Paul Neary, and John Beatty. (bottom) Super-Patriot vs.

Cap, on the Mike Zeck cover to issue #327 (Mar. 1987).

TM & © Marvel.

Superhero Stand-Ins Issue • BACK ISSUE • 49

“Azrael – The angel of death in Jewish and Islamic thought…”

– Merriam-Webster Dictionary The name Azrael is not a new one, but the character named Azrael made his first appearance in DC Comics’ Batman: Sword of Azrael four-part miniseries beginning in 1992. The co-creation of writer Denny O’Neil and penciler Joe Quesada, this avenging angel would very soon capture the attention of Batman and ultimately change the Dark Knight’s world.

TM

THE AVENGING ANGEL APPEARS

The action begins immediately in issue #1 (Oct. 1992) when a figure dressed in classic medieval knight gear, wielding a flaming sword, is seen confronting one Carleton Lehah in his downtown Gotham City apartment with the words, “Know that men call you liar! Know that men call you betrayer! Know that men call you defiler! Therefore, it is the duty of the angel Azrael to bring you punishment!” Lehah, however, is prepared for this walking nightmare, firing several rounds from a pistol that send the self-proclaimed angel into a bloody heap on the floor. Azrael, however, strikes out savagely with the sword, damaging the eye of Lehah just before crashing through the terrace window and down to the street where a steed waits to spirit him away.

Mortally wounded, the figure soon falls from the back of the horse and limps to a doorway with an alley access and a young, blond-haired man gasps, “Father!” Moments before dying on his son’s bed, the man instructs him to abandon his body and get the package he’s left in his son’s care. The man then breathes his last.

Elsewhere, Bruce Wayne has taken an interest in the reports of an angel falling from the sky and disrupting a downtown parade. It was also notably near the penthouse apartment of Carleton Lehah, an underworld financier and dealer in exotic ammunition, such as armor-piercing Teflon bullets, and also involved in gunrunning.

The young man, meanwhile, has followed his father’s instructions, finding in the package a telephone number, a large amount of currency, and a letter. The instructions in the letter lead him to fly to a small airfield in Switzerland and rendezvous with a driver, who delivers him to a tiny mountain village, where he is met by Nomoz, a small, gnome-like man dressed like a monk, who is to be his new teacher in an unnamed “system.” The training begins with some physical abuse by another man while Nomoz describes the preparations that will ensue, paving the way for the young man to replace his father in a secret organization dating to the 14th Century and that he shall be the new Azrael.

The organization is described as the ancient order of St. Dumas.

Back in Gotham City, the World’s Greatest Detective has been busy attempting to unravel the mystery of the fallen angel. Fieldwork indicates that the bullets used on him were coated with Teflon and he is able to find the lost sword of the angel, with an unfamiliar insignia on the blade’s handle. It is a match for the sigil Nomoz displays to the trainee with a depiction of St. Dumas.

Nomoz further tells the young man that he has been receiving subliminal instruction since his earliest days at the hand of his late father and that it would seem to be the stuff of dreams, but when the sigil and proper suggestions are given to him, he instinctively responds to the next attack.

The former graduate student at Gotham University is now a lethal force, ready for more indoctrination and training. It is further explained that he is the latest in a long line in his family to bear the mantle of Azrael.

Segue to the Batman, calling upon Oracle to help in his search.

With that assistance, our hero soon learns the origins of the order of St. Dumas. A splinter group from the Knights Templar, they were led by

There’s a New Bat in Town Bane gets what’s comin’ to him on Kelley Jones’ cover to Batman #500 (Oct. 1993), the newsstand variant.

TM & © DC Comics.

62 • BACK ISSUE • Superhero Stand-Ins Issue

by

Bryan D. Stroud

Ring of Fire The utterly astounding original cover art

by Quesada and Nowlan to the Sword of Azrael trade paperback. Courtesy of Heritage Comics Auctions (www. ha.com).

TM & © DC Comics.

Co-creator and writer Denny O’Neil shares some on a mission to find and kill these other members of the of his concepts about Jean-Paul Valley as Azrael with Order of St. Dumas.

BACK ISSUE: “It was tricky, because if I had told the Azrael fights like a demon, taking down security forces left and right in a merciless fashion, readers this guy was ENJOYED going to be thePREVIEW, next IF YOU THIS but Lehah is able to escape. The young man, Batman, we’d haveTHE sold LINK out everything thatTHIS CLICK TO ORDER Nomoz, and Alfred plot the next move we’d originally andDIGITAL a lot more.

ISSUE IN printed PRINT OR FORMAT! and decide it must be in Texas, where But that would damage the story to Lehah himself is said to dwell. come and we didn’t want to do that.

We thought it was more important At that location, an idled oil refinery, Lehah has Bruce Wayne trussed up for to deliver a strong miniseries than to torture when Azrael arrives to mete make a lot of money on one issue. out the vengeance he has been trained I think we brought it off. Nobody figured to accomplish. Lehah fires his pistol out what was going to happen. And I owe a lot of credit to Joe Quesada, who I and only succeeds in striking the piping thought did a superb job.” above, dropping petroleum byproducts onto an acetylene torch he’d Batman: Sword of Azrael artist dropped and engulfing the chamber Quesada’s design of the original dennis o’neil in flames. Then, ignoring the direction Azrael costume was critical to the of Nomoz, Azrael strides forward to © Luigi Novi / Wikimedia Commons. character, and Denny shares a little free Bruce Wayne. about his limited inputs to Joe’s designs: “I don’t know The quartet escape just as the inferno becomes an exactly what I had in mind. I guess something that was explosion. Nomoz shrieks at his protégé that he has closer to the angel we know from Christmas.

BACK ISSUE That #117kind SUPERHERO John Stewart as Green Lantern, James disobeyed and disgraced his mantle as an angel of of white-clad little boring guy, STAND-INS! but Joe started from square Rhodes as Iron Man, Beta Ray Bill as Thor, Captain America substivengeance. The young man replies simply that he is a man one and did what he thought was a good costume. tute U.S. Agent, new Batman Azrael, and Superman’s Hollywood and not an angel and that his name is Jean-Paul Valley, I certainly didn’t quarrel that that he made. proxywith Gregory Reed!decision Featuring NEAL ADAMS, CARY BATES, DAVE GIBBONS, DAVID MICHELINIE, DENNIS O’NEIL, like that of his father, wrapping up issue #4 (Jan. 1993), It doesn’t read as ‘angel’ to RON me.MARZ, That’s the only quarrel WALTER SIMONSON, ROY THOMAS, and more, under a cover the final installment of this introductory miniseries.

I might have with it.”by SIMONSON.

64 • BACK ISSUE • Superhero Stand-Ins Issue

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