Back Issue #76 by TwoMorrows Publishing

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plus these tiny titans: The Atom in the Bronze Age • Sword of the Atom The Rocky Relationship of Ant-Man and the Wasp • The Microbots Super Jrs. • DC Comics Digests • Marvel Value Stamps

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Edited by MICHAEL EURY, BACK ISSUE magazine celebrates comic books of the 1970s, 1980s, and today through recurring (and rotating) departments like “Pro2Pro” (dialogue between professionals), “BackStage Pass” (behind-the-scenes of comicsbased media), “Greatest Stories Never Told” (spotlighting unrealized comics series or stories), and more!

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“Bronze Age Backup Series”! Green Lantern, Green Arrow, Black Canary, Metamorpho, GOODWIN and SIMONSON’s Manhunter, PASKO and GIFFEN’s Dr. Fate, “Whatever Happened To…?”, Nemesis, Rose and the Thorn, Seven Soldiers of Victory, art and commentary by CARY BURKETT, JOHN CALNAN, DICK GIORDANO, MIKE GRELL, ELLIOT S! MAGGIN, DAN SPIEGLE, cover by GRELL and JOE RUBINSTEIN.

“Bronze Age B-Teams”! Defenders issue-byissue overview, Champions, Guardians of the Galaxy, Inhumans, PETER DAVID’s X-Factor, Teen Titans West, Legion of Substitute Heroes, an all-star chatfest of Doom Patrol interviews, plus art and commentary by ROSS ANDRU, SAL BUSCEMA, KEITH GIFFEN, TONY ISABELLA, PAUL KUPPERBERG, ERIK LARSEN, GEORGE PÉREZ, BOB ROZAKIS, cover by KEVIN NOWLAN.

“Bronze Age Team-Ups”! Marvel Team-Up and Two-in-One, Super-Villain Team-Up, CLAREMONT and SIMONSON’s X-Men/New Teen Titans, DC Comics Presents, SuperTeam Family, HANEY and APARO’s Batman of Earth-B(&B), Superman/Captain Marvel smackdowns, plus art and commentary by BUCKLER, ENGLEHART, GARCÍA-LÓPEZ, GIFFEN, LEVITZ, WEIN, and a classic GIL KANE cover inked anew by TERRY AUSTIN.

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“Heroes Out of Time!” Batman: Gotham by Gaslight with MIGNOLA, WAID, and AUGUSTYN, Booster Gold with JURGENS, X-Men: Days of Future Past with CHRIS CLAREMONT, Bill & Ted with EVAN DORKIN, interview with P. CRAIG RUSSELL, “Pro2Pro” with Time Masters’ BOB WAYNE and LEWIS SHINER, Karate Kid, New Mutants: Asgardian Wars, and Kang. Mignola cover.

“1970s and ‘80s Legion of Super-Heroes!” LEVITZ interview, the Legion’s Honored Dead, the Cosmic Boy miniseries, a Time Trapper history, the New Adventures of Superboy, Legion fantasy cover gallery by JOHN WATSON, plus BATES, COCKRUM, CONWAY, COLON, GIFFEN, GRELL, JANES, KUPPERBERG, LaROCQUE, LIGHTLE, SCHAFFENBERGER, SHERMAN, STATON, SWAN, WAID, & more! COCKRUM cover!

TENTH ANNIVERSARY ISSUE! Revisit the 100th, 200th, 300th, 400th, and 500th issues of ‘70s and ‘80s favorites: Adventure, Amazing Spider-Man, Avengers, Batman, Brave & Bold, Casper, Detective, Flash, Green Lantern, Showcase, Superman, Thor, Wonder Woman, and more! With APARO, BARR, ENGLEHART, POLLARD, SEKOWSKY, SIMONSON, STATON, and WOLFMAN. DAN JURGENS and RAY McCARTHY cover.

“Incredible Hulk in the Bronze Age!” Looks into Hulk’s mind, his role as a team player, his TV show and cartoon, merchandising, Hulk newspaper strip, Teen Hulk, villain history of the Abomination, art and artifacts by SAL BUSCEMA, JOHN BYRNE, PETER DAVID, KENNETH JOHNSON, BILL MANTLO, AL MILGROM, EARL NOREM, ROGER STERN, HERB TRIMPE, LEN WEIN, new cover by TRIMPE and GERHARD!

“Tryouts, One-Shots, & One-Hit Wonders”! Marvel Premiere, Marvel Spotlight, Marvel Feature, Strange Tales, Showcase, First Issue Special, New Talent Showcase, DC’s Dick Tracy tabloid, Sherlock Holmes, Marvel’s Generic Comic Books, Bat-Squad, Crusader, & Swashbuckler, with BRUNNER, CARDY, COLAN, FRADON, GRELL, PLOOG, TRIMPE, and an ARTHUR ADAMS “Clea” cover!

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“Robots” issue! Cyborg, Metal Men, Robotman, Red Tornado, Mister Atom, the Vision, Jocasta, Shogun Warriors, and Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot, plus the legacy of Brainiac! Featuring the riveting work of DARROW, GERBER, INFANTINO, PAUL KUPPERBERG, MILLER, MOENCH, PEREZ, SIMONSON, STATON, THOMAS, WOLFMAN, and more, behind a Metal Men cover by MICHAEL ALLRED.

“Batman’s Partners!” MIKE W. BARR and ALAN DAVIS on their Detective Comics, Batman and the Outsiders, Nightwing flies solo, Man-Bat history, Commissioner Gordon, the last days of World’s Finest, Bat-Mite, the Batmobile, plus Dark Knight’s girl Robin! Featuring work by APARO, BUSIEK, DITKO, KRAFT, MILGROM, MILLER, PÉREZ, WOLFMAN, and more, with a cover by ALAN DAVIS and MARK FARMER.

“Bronze Age Fantastic Four!” The animated FF, the FF radio show of 1975, Human Torch goes solo, Galactus villain history, FF Mego figures… and the Impossible Man! Exploring work by RICH BUCKLER, JOHN BUSCEMA, JOHN BYRNE, GERRY CONWAY, STEVE ENGLEHART, GEORGE PÉREZ, KEITH POLLARD, ROY THOMAS, LEN WEIN, MARV WOLFMAN, and more! Cover by KEITH POLLARD and JOE RUBINSTEIN.

“‘80s Independents!” In-depth looks at PAUL CHADWICK’s Concrete, DAVE SIM’s Cerebus the Aardvark, and RICHARD AND WENDY PINI’s Elfquest! Plus see ‘80s independent comics go Hollywood, DAVID SCROGGY remembers Pacific Comics, TRINA ROBBINS’ California Girls, and DENIS KITCHEN’s star-studded horror/sci-fi anthology Death Rattle. Cover by PAUL CHADWICK!

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Volume 1, Number 76 October 2014 Celebrating the Best Comics of the '70s, '80s, '90s, and Beyond!

Comics’ Bronze Age and Beyond!

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Michael Eury PUBLISHER John Morrow DESIGNER Rich Fowlks COVER ARTIST/COLORIST Pat Broderick (from the original art collection of Shaun Clancy) COVER DESIGNER Michael Kronenberg PROOFREADER Rob Smentek

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BACK SEAT DRIVER: Editorial by Michael Eury . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 FLASHBACK: Hank and Janet: The Rocky Relationship of Ant-Man and the Wasp . . . . .3 The ups and downs of these size-changing founding Avengers ONE-HIT WONDERS: Here Come the Microbots! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 This toy-inspired Gold Key comic predated the Micronauts by seven years FLASHBACK: Marvel Value Stamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 How Marvel convinced fandom to buy more comics by cutting them up OFF MY CHEST: The Case of Marvel’s First Wolverine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 A look at the mysterious creation of Marvel’s most popular mutant FLASHBACK: Shrinking Roles and Shorter Features: The Atom in the Bronze Age . . . . .21 Ray Palmer’s scattershot appearances in the 1970s and 1980s—including television! FLASHBACK: Swords, Sorcery, and Size-Changing: Sword of the Atom . . . . . . . . . . . . .33 Jan Strnad recalls his collaboration with Gil Kane on this ’80s superhero detour BEYOND CAPES: Inner-Space Opera: A Look at Marvel’s Micronauts Comics . . . . . . . . .41 Borne of the toy box, Micronauts became a surprise hit for the House of Ideas FLASHBACK: Buried Treasures in DC’s Reprint Digests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55 Big surprises found in small packages INDEX: DC Comics Digests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59 Issue-by-issue, the contents of these pocket-sized crowd-pleasers WHAT THE--?!: Super Jrs. vs. Superkids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69 The many mysteries of DC’s Romper Room JLA BACK TALK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78 Reader reaction to our Tryouts, One-Shots, and One-Hit Wonders issue (#71) and more

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, 118 Edgewood Avenue NE, Concord, NC 28025. Email: euryman@gmail.com. Six-issue subscriptions: $67 Standard US, $85 Canada, $104 Surface International. Please send subscription orders and funds to TwoMorrows, NOT to the editorial office. Cover art by Pat Broderick. Micronauts TM & © 2014 Takara LTD/A.G.E., Inc. All Rights Reserved. All characters are © their respective companies. All material © their creators unless otherwise noted. All editorial matter © 2014 Michael Eury and TwoMorrows Publishing. BACK ISSUE is a TM of TwoMorrows Publishing. ISSN 1932-6904. Printed in China. FIRST PRINTING. Let’s Get Small Issue

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The Atom, in detail from the cover of Secret Origins #2 (Apr.–May 1973). Art by Nick Cardy. TM & © DC Comics.

SPECIAL THANKS Jerry Boyd Andy Mangels Pat Broderick Michael Mantlo John Cimino David Michelinie Shaun Clancy Al Milgrom Chris Claremont Bethan Millsted Gerry Conway Elizabeth Millsted Nicola Cuti Ian Millsted Tom DeFalco Brian K. Morris Mike Dunne Fabian Nicieza Steve Englehart Marc Tyler Nobleman Chris Franklin Luigi Novi Stephan Friedt PlaidStallions Carl Gafford Dr. Henry Pym Peter B. Gillis Bob Rozakis Michael Golden Josef Rubinstein Grand Comics Paul Sager Database Roger Stern Jackson “Butch” Guice Jan Strnad Heritage Comics Takara Ltd./A.G.E., Inc. Auctions Roy Thomas Kelley Jones Anthony Tollin Rob Kelly John Trumbull Richard Kolkman Loston Wallace Paul Kupperberg Len Wein James Heath Lantz John Wells Paul Levitz Randall Wiggins Alan Light Bill Zanowitz

Michael Eury

This issue, we scoff at composer Randy Newman’s “Short People” lyrics and place many of the Bronze Age’s tiniest titans on a pedestal for this, our “Let’s Get Small” edition! For the benefit of our younger readers who might not get our theme’s title: Let’s Get Small was a Platinum-selling comedy album released in 1977 by Steve Martin (pardon me as I ignore the fact that “getting small” was drug humor—but what wasn’t back in the ’70s?). It won a 1978 Grammy Award for “Best Comedy Album.” (Now, for those of you young’uns wondering what an “album” is—Google it.) In the pages which follow, we’ll examine several comics characters who stand tall against adversity despite their diminutive size. For years, readers have clamored for the Micronauts to receive the BACK ISSUE treatment, so James Heath Lantz’s in-depth look at their toy and comics history—and our spectacular Micronauts cover by Pulse-Pounding Pat Broderick—should bring many a smile. Two writers pull double duty this issue: John Cimino, with a “FlashBack” to the Marvel Value Stamps and an editorial exploring Wolverine’s origins, and John Trumbull, who puts the microscope to both the Atom’s Bronze Age tales and his Sword of the Atom fantasy incarnation. Plus, this issue looks at one of Marvel’s next movie stars, Ant-Man, and his tumultuous relationship with his wife, the Wasp; the Microbots; and DC’s digest comics. This one’s a cover-to-cover read!

BABY TALK

TM & © Marvel Characters, Inc.

And there’s one more treat herein, an article some of you might be prone to overlook (but do so at your own peril): Andy Mangels opens the playpen of the Super Jrs. to let those terrific tots run wild! DC fans in particular will go ga-ga (or maybe goo-goo) over the many twists and turns experienced by this moppet-Justice League. In his incisive feature, Andy reveals—among other surprises—the previously uncredited writer of the Super Jrs. Christmas story many of you read in The Best of DC #58 digest! (Hint: He’s a one-time Marvel Comics editor-in-chief…) And for fun, on this page you’ll find covers for two Bronze Age baby-superhero images referenced in the Super Jrs. article: Stories featuring Superbaby—the adventures of Superman as a superpowered, trouble-causing toddler—were common in the late Golden through early Bronze Ages, but Lex Luthor turned Superman—and Batman and the Flash—into children in Action Comics #466 (Dec. 1976), featuring a dynamite cover by Neal Adams. Marvel Comics wasn’t above such hijinks, as this page’s eye-popping Arthur Adams/Terry Austin cover for X-Men Annual #10 (1986) shows. It features the X-Babies—and you’ve gotta love Li’l Storm’s Mohawk. And last, but not least, we’ve also included something that even Andy missed: the world of the Marvel Babies— shown here, the Silver Burper and the Fantastic Four Tots—from a “Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Ham” tale I wrote for Marvel Tales #219 (Jan. 1989). Art by Alan Kupperberg and Joe Albelo.

TM & © DC Comics.

SMALL TALK

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Ian Millsted

At the time of writing, the Marvel character Ant-Man is set to reach the big screen in a Marvel Studios movie starring Michael Douglas as Henry Pym and Paul Rudd as Scott Lang [see inset photo]. However, the character has not always been so high profile. When the Ant-Man series in Marvel Feature [see BI #71] ended with #10 (July 1973), the character was, in Marvel Comics terms, a two-time loser. He was the first of the Silver Age superhero characters from the House of Ideas to effectively be canceled twice. There was also the additional indignity of being the only one of the three series to run in the first volume of Marvel Feature not go on to have its own comic book, since both MF’s Defenders and Thing team-up features progressed to long-running, decade-spanning titles. In addition, despite having been founding members and longtime core characters of the Avengers, neither Ant-Man nor his partner the Wasp were being used in The Avengers at the time. All of which seems a shame for two characters with plenty of potential, especially since in their civilian identities of Henry Pym and Janet Pym (nee van Dyne) they were only the second married couple within the Marvel Universe (that marriage being the second for Henry Pym).

“I WILL STAND BESIDE YOU ALWAYS … TO AVENGE MY FATHER’S DEATH.” (Janet) Ant-Man had first appeared in the one-off story “The Man in the Ant Hill” in Tales to Astonish #27 (Jan. 1962). Seemingly intended as a complete science-fiction/monster story of the type Marvel specialized in at the time—and passed over by plotter Stan Lee to his brother Larry Lieber to script over Jack Kirby’s art—the story contained no superhero costumes, no supervillain, and no indication that there would be any further tales featuring the character. However, Ant-Man returned to star in his own series in Tales to Astonish starting with #35 (Sept. 1962). A detailed examination of that series is beyond the remit of this Bronze Age-based magazine, but regarding the ongoing development of the character, some points are relevant. Creatively, Ant-Man seems to have been a low priority for Stan Lee when compared to the likes of Spider-Man, the Hulk, Fantastic Four, and others. Lee contributed plots, but the scripts were done by Lieber (Tales to Astonish #35–43), and then Ernest Hart, under the pseudonym H. E. Huntley (TtA #44–48).

Character Growth Dave Cockrum’s 1974 rendition of Hank Pym’s superheroic identities—in order of size: Ant-Man, Yellowjacket, Giant-Man, and Goliath—and his wife, Janet van Dyne Pym, the Wasp (who’s had her share of costume changes as well). Submitted by this article’s writer, Ian Millsted. Colors by BI designer Rich Fowlks. TM & © Marvel Characters, Inc.

Let’s Get Small Issue

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Making a Series Out of an Anthill Big moments in Hank and Janet’s early career: (left to right) Pym’s premiere in Tales to Astonish #27 (Jan. 1962); Henry’s first outing as Ant-Man in #35; Pym’s new role as Giant-Man in #49; and both Pyms imperiled at the close of Ant-Man’s series in Marvel Feature #10 (July 1973). TM & © Marvel Characters, Inc.

Learn more about Don Heck’s life and career (including early Ant-Man work) in TwoMorrows’ new full-color hardcover Don Heck: A Work of Art, now shipping!

Only when Ant-Man transformed into Giant-Man in Tales to Astonish #49 (Nov. 1963) did Lee start to do all the writing. The prolific Jack Kirby penciled the Ant-Man stories in Tales to Astonish #35–40 and 44, with the others being drawn by Don Heck. Even after the commencement of the Giant-Man stories, the top team of Lee and Kirby lasted only to Tales to Astonish #51 (Jan. 1964), after which Dick Ayers took over on art, with one more issue by Don Heck (Tales to Astonish #54, Apr. 1964). So far as the characters go, the main point of interest in Tales to Astonish #44 (June 1963) was the introduction of Janet van Dyne. In that issue, van Dyne becomes the Wasp, courtesy of Pym’s science, and it should be noted that from the outset she was coverfeatured and shared equal co-star status with Ant-Man, although the latter was reduced after the series’ change to “Giant-Man.” In that first story, it was clear that van Dyne is attracted to Pym as adventurer Ant-Man more than as scientist Henry Pym. Pym, however, has a more complex reason for noticing Janet: her resemblance to his first wife, Maria Trovaya, a Hungarian defector. While she and Hank were on honeymoon back in Hungary, Maria was seemingly killed by hard-line Communists as punishment for her leaving for the West. Janet has her own tragedy in the form of the death of her father. Although their working partnership as crimefighters was closely followed by a growing romance, the signs that such a relationship was built on less-than-sure foundations were likely to be picked up on by subsequent writers. Married couples often seem to be difficult for comics companies dealing in long-running superhero titles; the temptation is there for lazy writers to contrive conflict where there had been none. In the case of Henry Pym and Janet van Dyne, however, the fault lines were there from the very beginning, and the dramatic fallout from this relationship has been felt in most corners of the Marvel Universe. Also of note regarding the Ant-Man/Giant-Man series from Tales to Astonish is that when Pym gave Janet the ability to fly, in addition to all the powers he had as Ant-Man, he effectively made her more powerful than he, although this was never developed at the time and became moot when he gave himself the power to increase his size. Also easily overlooked are the Wasp solo stories that ran in 1964 in Tales to Astonish #51–58.

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While the first six of these are really just a framing sequence for Atlas-era-style stories, issues #57 and 58 are genuine solo adventures—meaning that, however briefly, the Wasp was the first female superhero of the Marvel Silver Age to have her own series. Giant-Man and the Wasp were replaced in Tales to Astonish after #69 (July 1965) by the Sub-Mariner feature. Of their adversaries from TtA, only Egghead, the Human Top, and the villainous Black Knight arguably represented much of an ongoing rogues’ gallery, and that, principally, took place in The Avengers. Ant-Man and the Wasp were among the founders of the Avengers, although Janet was at first treated much like a junior member, not seeming to take a turn at being chairman and once being compared to Rick Jones as a mere partner to a more senior, “male” hero. Although Hank and Janet left the Avengers with #16 (May 1965), after they re-joined in #28 (May 1966) they started to become part of the spine of the team. As their own series had already ended, it was within the pages of The Avengers that Pym and van Dyne were developed further as characters. Henry Pym transitioned from Giant-Man to Goliath and then to Yellowjacket. As a scientist, he created, in an act of scientific genius but tragic consequence, a sentient robot called Ultron. [Editor’s note: See BACK ISSUE #38 for the history of Ultron.] It was after a nervous breakdown that Pym suffered amnesia, took on the Yellowjacket identity, and proposed to Janet. Van Dyne, fully aware of who Yellowjacket really was, accepted his proposal and a wedding followed. Before long, they once again drifted away from the group. Special artistic credit should be given to the sometimes-underestimated Don Heck, who drew van Dyne as a beautiful society girl very much at home in expensive clothes, and to John Buscema, who transformed her into a modern-looking (for the time) woman.

Avengers #139 featured the Wasp under threat from the Whirlwind “DID YOU REALLY THINK I’D LEAVE YOU, HONEY?” (Hank) (originally known as the aforementioned Human Top). The Whirlwind It was actually in the pages of The Defenders that Pym reappeared, once operated undercover, using his close proximity to van Dyne to enable more in the identity of Yellowjacket. Across Giant-Size Defenders #4 himself to burgle the high-class establishments she frequented. Henry (Apr. 1975) and Defenders #23–25 (May–July 1975), Yellowjacket operatsuffered his own injuries while protecting his wife. By the end ed as a human-sized character following continued complications of #140 (Oct. 1975), the Pyms were reunited as a couple with his size-changing abilities left over from the Marvel while recovering from their respective injuries, which Feature run. Writer Steve Gerber showed Yellowjacket led to their absence from further Avengers business using his fists and gadgets in a way more reminiscent of (apart from a brief cameo in a fill-in issue #146). They the Blue Beetle or even a ’60s-era Batman. Yellowjacket returned to the team in Avengers #150 (Aug. 1976), also appeared without the Wasp, seemingly happy only for Yellowjacket to announce in the following within the informal setup of the Defenders. issue that he does not want to serve as an Avenger. In response to a public recruitment drive by Avengers #152 saw Gerry Conway scripting over Earth’s Mightiest Heroes in Avengers #137 (July 1975), Steve Englehart’s plot as the return of the presumedthe Wasp surprised the current team by responding dead Wonder Man gave Pym a brief opportunity to that not only does she want to join, but that she use his scientific ability—but with the arrival of Henry expects her husband will as well. After acknowledging McCoy (a.k.a. the Beast) in the team, even that role that she wants “to go adventuring again,” she for Pym became one where he was no longer informed Thor, “ours is a happy marriage … and steve englehart unique or pre-eminent. Conway scripted a nice Hank wants to keep it that way.” scene wherein Janet tried to shore up Henry’s ego. For the time being, at least, Henry Pym seemed There was public acknowledgement of his insecurity about her wealth to enjoy the superhero life, not only his time with the Defenders but and his powers, but in the subsequent action scenes both characters also a guest role in Captain Marvel #37 (Mar. 1975), where he followed were limited to apprehending a non-powered civilian and distracting through on his wife’s suggestion despite admitting, “If it were solely the main villain. It didn’t help Henry Pym’s insecurities that another up to me I’d opt for spending most of my time on research.” villain with a distinct attraction for Captain Marvel and Avengers the Wasp, the Living Laser, turned writer Steve Englehart clearly up in Avengers Annual #6 (1976). understood the nature of the Meanwhile, Yellowjacket and the relationship between the Pyms, Wasp made a significant appearance showing Henry claiming that while alongside Spider-Man starting in he and Jan are not together all Marvel Team-Up #59 (July 1977). the time he wouldn’t want them Asked why he chose to use the pair to be apart “for any great while.” in this title, writer Chris Claremont Meanwhile, Englehart showed Janet responds, “Basically, the editor [Archie suggesting, lightheartedly, that her Goodwin] and I sat down and ran husband would be helpless without down a list of all the characters that her, but with the underlying were available, and then I’d touch suggestion that her words are truer base with John [Byrne, then-MTU than Hank might like to think. artist] to see who he thought would Englehart tells BACK ISSUE, “To put be fun to play with, and we’d pretty it simply, Hank Pym was a loser. I had much take things from there. enjoyed the Ant-Man/Giant-Man Sometimes, the mix would include stories back in the day (and became characters who hadn’t been centera lifelong Don Heck fan in the stage for a while, or those we actively process), but for whatever reason, liked and wanted to play with (Thor, I hadn’t had a lot of company. So for example), or just those who would pretty soon [Ant-Man] was only in catch the audience by surprise. In this The Avengers, where he was continucase, Henry and Janet were available ally being rejiggered to try to make and cool and provided an exciting something out of him … and it counterpoint to Peter Parker.” became clear after a while that that The two characters entered the wasn’t working. Nothing that was story in a domestic setting where done with him caught on. That said, Janet, wearing a slinky nightdress, he was a core Avenger, so when I was was trying to entice Hank away from writing Avengers, I wanted to bring his research. They appeared happier him and Jan in. Then, a year later, than in contemporary issues of The I was off the book, so I didn’t want Avengers. Claremont had a purpose to develop him all that much.” with this: “The intent in Team-Up was A constant element of both Antalways to introduce characters to a Man and the Wasp’s relationship different/hopefully wider sweep and their involvement in the Avengers of readers than might be used to has been that the Wasp is the more following them. Therefore, our job enthusiastic participant in the superhero game. Unfortunately, another common element has been the propensity for Janet to be seriously injured Are You Man Enough? or portrayed as a victim. An example of this occurred in Avengers #137 (July 1975). Right after they rejoined, the Wasp was critically injured, forcing Ant-Man takes on his teammates in Avengers #161 Henry to become active to save his wife while at the same time being (July 1977). Cover by George Pérez and Pablo Marcos. reminded of the dangers present for her as a member of the Avengers. The final page of issue #138 showed Yellowjacket close to a breakdown. TM & © Marvel Characters, Inc. Let’s Get Small Issue

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TM & © Marvel Characters, Inc.

The Incredible Shrinking Couple A 2003 convention sketch of Wasp and Ant-Man by George Pérez. From the collection of Paul Sager, submitted to BI by Jerry Boyd.

(John as penciler, me as writer) was to present them in the more fundamental and interesting light. We wanted readers to like them and if at all possible to follow them on to their adventures in other books, or their own title; therefore, even if we touched on potential warts in their personalities, the intent was to do so lightly.” This first part of the story was generally light in tone until the final scene, a cliffhanger leading into Marvel Team-Up #60 (Aug. 1977), which cover-featured Spider-Man and the Wasp (which might give away the ending to the previous issue, but you should still go and read it). Claremont deliberately chose to use the Wasp as the lone co-star “to focus on the character the audience would least expect. Everyone was used to guys in a relationship having angst over gals being placed in danger. It’s very much the basic storytelling trope. My intent was to reverse the prism and put Jan center stage—and thereby show the audience what made her a formidable character, despite her diminutive size as the Wasp. I think John, as always, did a magnificent job visually portraying her; I like to feel I did my part as well.”

“YESTERDAY, IT ALL FELL APART AGAIN.” (Janet) Now among a team containing such powerful characters as Thor, Iron Man, the Vision, and Wonder Man, Yellowjacket and the Wasp both seemed out of their league. In their battle with Graviton in Avengers #158 (Apr. 1977), the Pyms were dispatched by a pencil. In Avengers #160 (June 1977), new writer Jim Shooter showed Yellowjacket addressing this by informing Jan that they need to go to his lab so that he can improve his powers—Shooter used this one line of dialogue to

TM & © Marvel Characters, Inc.

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set up one of the key stories about Hank and Janet. Avengers #161 launched a classic two-parter with the return of an amnesiac Henry Pym back in his Ant-Man persona. Seemingly unaware of anything that has happened since the Avengers first came together, Ant-Man presumed that the current team were intruders and attacked them. George Pérez’s powerful pencils added credibility to the idea of presumed lightweight Pym taking on the full Avengers team and actually winning until stopped by the Wasp, who explained that her husband has had another breakdown. This was just the prelude to the return of Pym’s own “Frankenstein Monster,” Ultron. As in Mary Shelley’s novel, where the Monster continually stalks his creator and attacks anyone that Victor Frankenstein cares for before demanding that a mate be created for him, Ultron has been a bane of Pym’s life. In “The Bride of Ultron” in Avengers #162 (Aug. 1977), the literary references cast back even further, to the classical Greek play Oedipus Rex. Having addressed Pym as “father” at the close of the previous issue, Ultron sought to force his creator to help him bring to life a female robot companion by transferring to it the life force from Pym’s wife and Ultron’s “mother,” a naked and bound Janet Pym. Given that Ultron was himself the partial creator of the Vision by using brain patterns taken from Wonder Man, the complicated familial relationships within the Avengers at this time were ripe for exploration. The story ended with a pyrrhic victory and a raving Henry Pym declaring to Jan, “How could I ever have thought I loved you?” [Editor’s note: The story of Ultron’s bride, Jocasta, was covered in BI #72.]

“ADORABLE THOUGH JAN BE, PATIENCE IS NOT ONE OF HER VIRTUES.” (Henry) In Avengers #164 (Oct. 1977), Henry Pym had recovered and was back in his Yellowjacket identity (the two-part Marvel Team-Up story may be placed chronologically after Avengers #162, but in neither is Pym’s breakdown referred to or explanation for his rapid recovery given). Any sense that Pym does not have any ongoing issue should be questioned in light of the way the character has gone away and enhanced his own powers while leaving the Wasp still relatively underpowered in that respect. Would a more secure husband not share such abilities with his longstanding wife and partner? In #164, an attack on Avengers Mansion by the triumvirate of Power Man, Living Laser, and Whirlwind left the Wasp seriously hurt once again (while two of those three villains had previously shown a romantic inclination for Janet van Dyne, they seemed untroubled by inflicting violence on her). In another classic action story from Shooter, this time with art by John Byrne, the real villain was revealed to be a newly empowered Count Nefaria. In Avengers #165 (Nov. 1977), Yellowjacket appeared to run from battle, only to be revealed in #166 to have decided to use his brain to revive the Vision to assist in the combat with Nefaria. Avengers #167 (Jan. 1978) contained a more or less separate story for Hank and Janet as the old Ant-Man villain the Porcupine decided to attempt a robbery of a fashion show in which Janet van Dyne is revealing her first collection as a fashion designer. Shooter used the quick dispatch of the second-string villain to show how much both the Wasp and Yellowjacket have progressed as superheroes, although Henry Pym’s claim that he is tougher as Yellowjacket than he was as Giant-Man is debatable. With Ultron’s return in

Avengers #170–171 (Apr.–May 1978), the Pyms played a boost to the confidence of the Wasp. She had always more active role—even though they are reduced to phone been shown as willingly embracing fashion and, as a duty in Avengers #172 (June 1978). Their relationship character who was not required to always look the same seemed more secure. In Avengers Annual #8 (1978), for merchandise and marketing purposes, over the years Janet celebrated her birthday by being taken over by various artists had shown the Wasp in a constantly an alien crystal and then being rendered unconscious— evolving series of costumes. During the time George but as the Scarlet Witch observes, Hank is Pérez was the artist on The Avengers, this clearly very much in love with her. trend was heightened. “George was The relative standings of the Wasp great, a solid storyteller who drew and Yellowjacket were highlighted in pictures that were tremendously fun Avengers #181 (Mar. 1979) when a to dialogue,” says Michelinie. “As US government directive required for the Wasp changing costumes a the active Avengers roster to be lot, Janet van Dyne had already limited to just seven. The Wasp been established as a socialite and made the cut while Yellowjacket something of a fashion plate. So did not. The writer of that issue, having her be concerned with style David Michelinie, remembers, “The and appearance seemed to be a whole ‘Avengers Priority’ storyline natural and believable character came from Jim Shooter’s run on the trait. Whether the frequent costume book, and I was just following up on changes were my idea or George’s david michelinie that with my first couple of self-plotor the editor’s, I honestly don’t ted issues. I was new to Marvel and remember. But the designs were appreciated input from Jim, especially on The Avengers. all George’s.” So to be honest, I don’t really remember who decided While the Wasp remained with the Avengers, on the team’s membership, including the Wasp Henry Pym appeared in the two-part story, also by remaining and Yellowjacket leaving. I’d like to take David Michelinie, in Marvel Premiere #47–48 credit, since I think it was a great set-up for character (Apr.–June 1979), which introduced a brand-new interaction: sort of like a married couple trying out for Ant-Man in the form of Scott Lang. [Editor’s note: See the police academy where one makes it and the other BACK ISSUE #71’s coverage of Marvel Premiere.] has to settle for being a private security guard. But Michelinie clearly enjoyed writing the small sizethere’s a good chance that it was Jim’s idea.” changing characters and all three appeared in As David Michelinie hints, being selected as an Avengers #195 (May 1980), to the extent of effectively Avenger in a competitive process would have been a taking over the issue. “There were several reasons for Let’s Get Small Issue

Sole Man Courtesy of Ian Millsted, Ant-Man covers from Marvel UK’s Hulk Comic: (left) vs. the prickly Porcupine, from #29, and (right) one giant step for man, from #33. Both by Paul Neary, from 1979. TM & © Marvel Characters, Inc.

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Marvel’s Hall of Shame (below) Bob Hall’s cover to Avengers #213 (Nov. 1981), the issue including (right) the infamous “wife-beater” scene. TM & © Marvel Characters, Inc.

that storyline,” says Michelinie. “One, of course, was the irresistible temptation to show Ant-Man and Yellowjacket in the same adventure, working together. Plus it was a good chance to show how effective the tiny heroes could be, how even though they were itsy-bitsy they had powers and skills—and determination—that could make them formidable opponents. Also, it was an opportunity to get the Scott Lang Ant-Man into a story. I really liked that character, but since he didn’t have his own series the only way I could get to write him was as a guest-star in other characters’ stories.” Summing up his approach to writing the Pyms, Michelinie reflects, “My approach with The Avengers was generally to concentrate on one or two characters, with the others in secondary roles. Though I did try to include as many of them [as possible since each] is someone’s favorite and I didn’t want to disappoint readers who liked the book for the sheer number of characters involved. And, yes, there was a tendency— at least for me—to focus on characters that didn’t have their own book.” However, Yellowjacket once again drifts away from the Avengers, perhaps to clear the decks for what is to come next.

“IF YOU LOVE ME … LET IT END.” (Janet) Perhaps the most controversial storyline affecting the two characters, and certainly one with far-reaching consequences, was the “Trial of Yellowjacket.” Jim Shooter had returned to replace Micheline as the main writer on The Avengers and took a close look at the married couple that had been, for so long, mainstays of the group. On his blog, Shooter explained how he came to develop this story: “Before I embarked on the storyline that led to the end of Hank Pym and Janet van Dyne’s marriage, I reread every single appearance of both characters. His history was largely a litany of failure, always changing guises and switching back and forth from research to hero-ing because he wasn’t succeeding at either. He was never the Avenger who saved the day at the end and usually the first knocked out or captured. His most notable ‘achievement’ in the lab was creating Ultron. Meanwhile, his rich, beautiful wife succeeded in everything she tried. She was also always flitting around his shoulders, flirting, saying things to prop up his ego.” We could add to that to say that Janet was largely financing Hank’s scientific research, as he was apparently rejected by the academic scientific community as far back as Tales to Astonish #27, although we could balance that by suggesting that along with creating Ultron he could claim credit for his size-changing discoveries. Shooter blogged more details: “As I was developing the storyline, I discussed the potential pathology of their relationship with a psychologist who happened to be sitting next to me on a five-hour flight. The story made sense, he thought. I went ahead with it, During the time the story was running, I got a great deal of hate mail. It worried me enough to ask Stan [Lee] what he thought. He said he got the same kind of mail in the ’60s regarding Peter Parker’s various romantic travails. He asked me how Avengers sales were doing. They were, in fact, increasing by 10,000 copies per issue. Stan said that people obviously cared passionately about what was happening to Hank and Janet, as if they were real people. That’s the key. And he said, ‘Don’t worry about the mail.’” The Yellowjacket who returned to the team in

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Avengers #211 (Sept. 1981) was a man clearly on the edge. Desperate to prove himself a worthy Avenger, he became reckless and self-obsessed. More willing than before to use power against others, Pym faced a court hearing of his fellow Avengers for excessive use of force, putting him under even more pressure … which he released in an act of fury against his wife in Avengers #213 (Nov. 1981). In this issue, drawn by Bob Hall, Henry Pym was shown striking Janet with a full swing of the back of his hand. Jim Shooter, again on his own blog, has made the point that this was not how it was really intended: “Hank is supposed to have accidentally struck Jan while throwing his hands up in despair and frustration—making a sort of ‘get away from me’ gesture while not looking at her. Bob Hall, who had been trained by John Buscema to always go for the most extreme action, turned that into a right cross! There was no time to have it redrawn, which to this day has caused the tragic story of Hank Pym to be known as the ‘wife-beater’ story.” Separation and divorce followed. Janet, by now clearly the stronger of the two, moved on with her life. She became Avengers chairwoman while Pym was placed in prison. She had a brief affair with Tony Stark, highlighted in Avengers #224 (Oct. 1982), ended reluctantly by Stark after Captain America expressed disapproval. Jim Shooter has indicated that he had always planned for Henry Pym to find redemption, and his replacement as writer, Roger Stern, completed the storyline satisfactorily. In Avengers #230 (Apr. 1983), Henry Pym recognized and overcame his own insecurities and defeated the vintage Ant-Man villain, the Egghead. In the final scene of that issue, he acknowledged to his former wife, “You can’t base a marriage on just a few good times. I fell for the young lady who reminded me of my first wife … and you thought you’d found the strong, silent hero. But I was never that strong, Jan.”

“I HADN’T REALIZED JUST HOW BAD IT WOULD BE TO SEE JAN AGAIN” (Henry) Hank Pym relocated to the West Coast and led a largely civilian life while Janet van Dyne continued to lead the Avengers. On the occasions they did have contact, their shared history was always tangible, as shown in Avengers #240 (Feb. 1984). On the whole, however, they led separate lives. Janet had further romances with Dane Whitman (the Black Knight—another irony, given the Knight’s uncle’s role as another early Giant-Man enemy) and Paladin. She also seemed to have a run of terrible hairstyles—but, hey, it was the ’80s! With the launch of a second Avengers team, operating from the West Coast, it became possible for the two former partners to both be active members while still being apart. With the Wasp very much a mainstay of the New York-based team, there was a possible opening for Henry Pym, now just going by the professional name of Dr. Pym, to join the new West Coast Avengers. The writer of the ongoing series was Steve Englehart. “When I got West Coast Avengers, I didn’t have any burning desire to use him [Pym],” says Englehart. “But Mark Gruenwald, the editor, decided after a while that he wanted him in the book, and Mark had an idea of what to change him into this time: [Marvel’s answer to] Dr. Who. He described a Dr. Pym who would not be a costumed hero but would be a distinctively dressed scientist. This did not thrill me, but I had to do it—so I sat down and took a long look at him, and

came to the conclusion he was a loser, so maybe the storyline that could make him finally work required facing that problem head-on, rather than trying to ignore it. Thus, I brought him in as the character Mark wanted, but had a clear plan about running the character toward suicide. Obviously, he would not ultimately commit suicide, though I didn’t have the exact reason for that when I started along that road; that’s how I work, knowing that when it was time to solve that problem I would, and I’d have all the character development to that point in hand, which is the part that mostly interested me.” Englehart revisited Ultron’s Oedipus complex in West Coast Avengers #7 (Apr. 1986), with a new approach. However, it was not until West Coast Avengers #21 (June 1987) that Pym resolved to become an Avenger again, as well as showing romantic inclinations toward teammate Espirita (a.k.a. Firebird). In West Coast Avengers #33 (June 1988), Englehart started a story arc entitled, knowingly, “Tales to Astonish,” and with the individual story title “The Man in the Ant Hill,” re-using the title of the very first Ant-Man story from Tales to Let’s Get Small Issue

What’cha Gonna Do About Pym? Brett Breeding’s cover to The Avengers #224 (Oct. 1982), with an imprisoned Hank Pym and a mystery romance for Janet van Dyne. TM & © Marvel Characters, Inc.

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potentially interesting one. One example is the Wasp story in Solo Avengers #15 (Feb. 1989), written by Fabian Nicieza, who remembers, “I submitted a list of several story pitches. They didn’t have anything with the Wasp in the hopper and Mark (Gruenwald) liked the idea of little Wasp vs. big Red Ronin.” A little later there was also a decent eight-page Wasp story in Marvel Comics Presents #48 (1990) written by Marc McLaurin and drawn by Eric Shanower (but with an unfortunate back-cover illustration by Erik Larsen). However, such opportunities were few and far between and the Wasp continued to be a team player within the Avengers. As time passed, Henry Pym and Janet van Dyne drew back together. It is appropriate that in the 1994 one-shot Tales to Astonish (technically vol. 3 #1), in which they both co-star with the Hulk, their old stable-mate from the original run of TtA, they reconciled to a close but non-romantic working relationship. In this story, scripted by Peter David and drawn by John Estes, Janet made clear she and Hank are “just friends.” At this point, Pym is still operating without superpowers and relying on gadgets and gizmos, which does have the effect of him coming across as a bit of a know-itall. One great line Peter David inserts into the action has the Hulk, of all fabian nicieza people, saying, “How do you put up with him, Wasp?” However, the relationship at this point was one based on years of shared knowledge and experiences that neither can fully share with others, and as such reflected a not-uncommon situation in real life. Subsequent to this story, Hank regained his ability to grow in size. Their history in recent years, after the “Heroes Reborn” event, has continued to be full of twists, turns, and tragedy, which may, perhaps, be explored more fully in this magazine at another time.

A Not-SoPerfect Match Yellowjacket’s gotten small, along with the Wasp, in this poster produced for Marvel UK’s Marvel Super Heroes #395 (Mar. 1983). Pencils by Alan Davis, inks by Damian Davis. Courtesy of Ian Millsted. TM & © Marvel Characters, Inc.

Astonish #27. The story started with Pym believing he has found evidence that his first wife, Maria Trovaya, is still alive. In his quest to find out more, he is accompanied by the rest of the West Coast Avengers and even the Wasp. Englehart explains, “This time I had to find an angle that didn’t loop back on his self-doubts, and that led me back to the Tales to Astonish stories, when the future seemed bright for the young couple. I looked for story hooks there, and found some, so I could explore Hank and Jan as a team of their own within the Avengers.” The use of the Wasp in this story is something Englehart might have built on. “I did want to write more about Hank and Jan, but especially Jan, going forward. Just before I got bounced, I had split the West Coast Avengers into two teams, and I wanted to explore, as part of that, how it would affect the East Coast Avengers. The whole question I was working toward was, ‘What constitutes an Avenger, exactly?’ and Jan, as the leader of the East Coast Avengers, whose husband was part of the West Coast Avengers, was going to be a key player in that.” The Wasp had occasional solo outings but usually on a strictly one-off basis, which seems a shame as her position as superhero/businesswoman/divorcee was a

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For all that Pym has achieved, for his redemptive rise from the depths to which he fell, the clear trend of the relationship between Henry Pym and Janet van Dyne is that she becomes an increasingly successful, independent, and successful woman, while he goes from being one of the founding figures of not only the Avengers but also the Marvel era of superheroes to being an increasingly marginal figure. On the one hand, it is pleasing to see a female character that started off as little more than a sidekick and ditzy love interest mature into an important and complex character in her own right—and one long overdue for her own series. On the other hand, I can’t help feeling that Henry Pym has untapped potential as a character. Perhaps the Ant-Man film will change that. With thanks to Steve Englehart, David Michelinie, Chris Claremont, Fabian Nicieza, and Elizabeth and Bethan Millsted. IAN MILLSTED is a writer and teacher living in Bristol, England. He wishes someone would invent Pym particles for the storage possibilities alone.

Stephan Friedt

In 1971, Kenner Toys (a division of General Mills Foods by that time) introduced a line of industrial-inspired robot toys called “The Microbots” … the first toy robot of its kind in the United States. Kenner Products began in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1947 as the idea of the Steiner Brothers, Albert, Philip, and Joseph. The company was named after the street where the first office was located, Kenner Street. Kenner has had a long history of successful toys starting with their Bubblematic Gun. In 1949, Kenner’s Bubble Rocket sold one million units. In 1958, they led the way among toy companies with first nationwide television toy advertising, and were one of the first sponsors of The Captain Kangaroo Show. The next year, in 1959, they introduced the Give-A-Show Projector. In 1963, they gave the world the Easy-Bake Oven. In 1965, General Mills Foods marked their interest in toy manufacturers with their purchase of Rainbow Crafts, the originators of Play-Doh in 1956. In 1966 Kenner introduced the Spirograph, and in 1967 General Mills purchased the company. The next year General Mills bought Parker Brothers, and in 1970, Rainbow Crafts and Kenner were merged and Play-Doh became part of the toy line. Robot toys had been around since the end of World War II, though mostly from toy manufacturers from Japan, and always as a solitary robot figure. Automation in industry had been around since the late 1930s, but the invention of the Stanford Arm in 1969 by Victor Scheinman of Stanford University, with its all-electric, six-axis articulation, brought robotics into the news and to the public’s attention. The designers at Kenner (the actual originator is lost to history and the purges of corporate mergers) decided to combine robotics and industrial construction machines, throw in miniaturization, add some magnets, and created the Microbots: “a die-cast metal mechanical action man” that’s “Fun to play with and collect.” The Microbots and their abilities were as follows: • Fliptor: Two spring-action arms hurl small objects forward into space. • Krushor: Arms drive a hammer block to smooth out the treacherous path ahead of him. • Hooktor: Hook swings back and forth; his arms move up and down. • Griptor: Spring-action arms hold small objects and drop them in the tray below.

First (and Only) Issue Kenner’s robo-toys roll into a Len Weinscripted one-shot, Gold Key’s Microbots #1 (Dec. 1971). We’re unsure of the cover painter (George Wilson, perhaps?). If you can identify this artist, please email the editor at euryman@gmail.com and we’ll update this credit in a future issue. Microbots © 1971 Kenner.

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“Mechanical Action Man” Here’s Microbot Klawbor on a blister card; notice that the figure is held into place with a twist-tie. (It’s common for Microbots collectors to find carded figures whose twist-ties have come loose.) Photo courtesy of Stephan Friedt. Microbots © 1971 Kenner.

• Liftor: His two-part hinged body can extend itself to twice its normal height. • Klawbor: A center “lever arm” can be raised and lowered to hold elongated objects. • Bullzor: A bulldozer-like blade pushes objects and carries them. • Kranktor: Hook and string-cable reelr in foreign objects. The toys were available on cards as individuals and in sets with “platforms and roads” that allowed you to build multi-layered structures to run them around. Someone, either at Kenner, or in the offices of Gold Key Comics (the connection is lost to history), thought the Microbots would be an interesting comic book. The assignment fell into the basket of 23-year-old Len Wein to develop a backstory as a comic-book script. Len put the script together and it was given to penciler/inker Jack Sparling to bring it to life. John Edmond “Jack” Sparling (b. June 12, 1916– d. 1997) began his career in New Orleans in the 1930s doing gag cartoons and editorial cartoons for the New Orleans Item-Tribune. There he created the comic strip

Hap Hopper, Washington Correspondent, which he drew until 1943, when Al Plastino succeeded him. In the 1940s, Jack provided art for Jack Armstrong and Pug & Curly for Parent’s Magazine Press, Nyoka for Fawcett, and romance stories for Lev Gleason. In the 1950s, he was everywhere: Harvey, Toby Press, Charlton, Ziff-Davis, Gilberton (Classics Illustrated’s “Robin Hood” and “A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court”), as well as the syndicated strips Mister Rubbles and Sam Hill. In the 1960s and 1970s, Jack handled the syndicated strip Honor Eden for McClure Syndicate as well as providing many stories for Warren’s horror magazines. He also did many assignments for Dell, Gold Key, and DC Comics during this time. During his later years in the 1980s, he worked mainly for Western Publishing, but also worked an occasional assignment for Marvel and DC. Sparling’s listings at the Grand Comics Database (www.comics.org) runs 17 pages! Jack was inking his own work during this period, and it is the opinion of fellow Gold Key employees, Mike Royer and Len Wein, that Microbots was all Jack without assistance. Wein, meanwhile, was in a highly productive phase at this time. Len reports to BACK ISSUE that his writing technique was driven more by deadlines than discipline. His acceptance rate for scripts offered him was nearly 100%, so he was kept busy. In fact, according to the Grand Comics Database, Wein had 70 stories published in 1971! Considering the workload and the length of time that’s transpired since the Microbots assignment, it’s no wonder that Len has little or no memory of the details or inspirations behind this particular one-shot story.

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Hammering the Hydrapoid

STORY SYNOPSIS

A man-made ecological disaster, suspended Dr. Norman Micron, an African-American scientist, animation, and the heroes waking up to mutated designs and builds a group of “helper robots.” A animals all touched on conversations, controversies, pollution-fueled, worldwide disaster occurs, and and science-fiction elements that pervaded the thanks to a pair of suspended-animation chambers, Dr. media at the time. The Planet of the Apes movie franchise had enthralled the public with the Micron and his son Jeff survive. They are awakened idea of an apocalyptic future from the first in the distant future by a young Caucasian movie in 1968 through chapters released boy named Vik and discover that mankind in 1970 and 1971. has reverted to a caveman society and The resulting hero team consisted animals have mutated in bizarre ways. of adolescents … a story aspect Dr. Micron is soon killed by a mutant that for the time was still relatively beast, and the boys join forces. They uncommon. And the teaming of use the robots to lead the local cave one white and one black was another people and battle some renegade story element that was a rarity at the army tanks from a previous era. time, though it had been successful Wein skillfully weaved several in Western Publishing’s long-running contemporary elements into the story: “Brothers of the Spear” series that The scientist/creator of the ran as a backup in the Tarzan Microbots was an African-American len wein comics, and would later be given and a single father, both aspects that its own series. were new and novel for 1970s comicLen Wein was able to take all of book stories. Racial issues and civilrights advances were prominent in the media at this these pieces and combine them into an entertaining time. The country was still remembering the assassination story that had great potential as a comic-book series. of Dr. Martin Luther King just two years prior; Shirley Where it would have gone from there we will never Chisholm made the news as the first black woman to know, but that is the curse of all one-shot issues. be elected to Congress; and Arthur Ashe was the first STEPHAN FRIEDT is senior administrator of www.comicsAfrican-American to win the US Open in tennis. priceguide.com.

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(left) The Jack Sparling-drawn splash to Microbots #1, reprising the cover scene. (right) Dr. Micron saves the boys—and perishes in the process—on page 12. By Wein and Sparling. Interior scans courtesy of Stephan Friedt. Microbots © 1971 Kenner.

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Back in 1974, comics were at an all-time low in total sales. Marvel Comics’ then-head honcho Stan “The Man” Lee came up with a simple, offbeat, fun, and brilliant idea to get readers to purchase more of their comics—the infamous Marvel Value Stamps! Each month, pictures of Marvel’s popular characters, both heroes and villains, were printed onto the letters pages (where Stan Lee/Bullpen printed comments, editorials, and fan mail) of its various comics from March of 1974 until November of 1975. These images appeared in the form of a numbered stamp and the readers were encouraged to both “clip ’em and collect ’em.” There were 100 stamps in the set referred to as “Series A” (actually 102 if you include the unnumbered and later-numbered Hulk stamp Marvel used in the first few teasers to this event). The whole thing was well-hyped, and I’m guessing the promotion was very compelling to the readers because they would basically have to ruin their “precious” comic books to get these stamps and stick them in their Marvel Value Stamp Book that they had to send away for. A fellow collector named Richard Kolkman has a firsthand account of this book: “I received an original ‘Series A’ stamp book back in the spring of 1974, and in addition to a book, an 18" x 26" poster and outer mailing envelope, there was a black-and-white offset letter from Stan Lee. The letter was one-color, had Marvel [character] heads lined up on the letterhead a lá old Marvelmania stationery. What I remember most was Stan’s sign-off: ‘Until Iron Man runs out of Rustoleum.’ ” The overall plan was simple: get readers to purchase comics they didn’t usually buy in order to complete the entire set. A reader would have to basically purchase everything Marvel was putting out during that particular month to get every stamp. The stamps were even reprinted in various issues at later dates to help fans get the ones that they might have missed. For example, stamp #1 was an image of Spider-Man, and it appeared in Mighty Thor #221 (Mar. 1974), Power Man #20 (Aug. 1974), and Captain Marvel #35 (Nov. 1974). Stamp #2 was an image of the Hulk, and that was located in the issues Amazing Spider-Man #130 (Mar. 1974), Invincible Iron Man #70 (Sept. 1974), Giant-Size Fantastic Four #4 (Feb. 1975), and Captain Marvel #41 (Nov. 1975). Sure, it was a big-time marketing scheme to increase sales, but did it work? The editor-in-chief of Marvel at the time was Stan Lee’s right-hand man, “Rascally” Roy Thomas, and this is what he has to say about it:

Clip ’Em and Collect ’Em… …and diminish the value of your Bronze Age Marvel comic! Still, Marvel Value Stamps were a load of fun! “Series A” stamps of Iron Man (A-15), Iron Fist (A-39), Loki (A-40), and Man-Wolf (A-42). TM & © Marvel Characters, Inc.

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John “THE MEGO STRETCH HULK” Cimino by

Book ’Em, Stan-o (left) Both editions of the Marvel Value Stamp Book. Scans courtesy of Heritage Comics Auctions (www.ha.com). (below) An unclipped Red Skull stamp (A-32) as seen on an “Iron Fistfuls” letters page from Marvel Premiere #17 (Sept. 1974). TM & © Marvel Characters, Inc.

“How successful was the project? Not sure. I’m not even sure what it was supposed to do, except to get readers to buy more comics so they could get all the stamps and fill the books we provided. Some of them loved it … some complained that they’d have to cut up their comics or buy extra copies. Nobody [at Marvel] worried about that … but I don’t think we seriously thought that many people would buy a second copy. We mostly just wanted them to buy Marvel comics they might otherwise have skipped. They reminded me of similar stamps in the Fawcett comics around 1950.” With Marvel having a loyal fanbase willing to do anything that Stan Lee and the Mighty Bullpen asked just for the sake of saying “Make Mine Marvel,” fans did in fact chop through a truckload of these comics to get the entire set (more on this later). Many would fail in the attempt. But to the select few that managed to get the whole collection of stamps and sent in their completed albums to the Marvel offices, a bunch of prizes were waiting for them. Nothing better than a 10% discount coupon on upcoming Marvel products (and the more they ordered, the more they saved … it was another ingenious ploy to get the Marvel Zombies to spend more of their parents’ money on them), their name roy thomas inscribed in the hallowed halls of Marvel’s “Golden Honor Roll” (in reality, their name was printed in an upcoming letters page), and to those who managed to make it to the San Diego Comic-Con in 1974—a picture with the EIC himself, Roy Thomas (the picture appeared on page 37 in The Mighty Marvel Comic Convention Program released in 1975). Once again, here’s Roy on this event: “One of the ‘prizes’ was a special gathering of those who had all the stamps in the books at the San Diego Comic-Con in 1974, where I was the speaker. We had a dozen or so people, as I recall … there are photos of the event, but I don’t know if anybody thought they got their ‘money’s’ worth.” Despite what some disgruntled fans might have thought about the entire event, in December of 1975, Marvel began releasing the second set of stamps known as “Series B.” Once again, the stamps could

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COLLECT ’EM ALL “Series A” stamps: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

The Amazing Spider-Man The Incredible Hulk Conan the Barbarian The Thing Dracula The Mighty Thor Werewolf by Night Captain America Captain Marvel Power Man (Luke Cage) Deathlok the Destroyer Daredevil Dr. Strange The Living Mummy Iron Man Master of Kung Fu (Shang-Chi) Black Bolt Volstaag Balder, Hogan, and Fandral Brother Voodoo

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Kull Man-Thing Sgt. Fury The Falcon The Human Torch Mephisto The Black Widow Hawkeye Baron Mordo The Grey Gargoyle Modok The Red Skull Invisible Girl Mr. Fantastic Killraven The Ancient One The Watcher Red Sonja Iron Fist Loki Gladiator The Man-Wolf The Enchantress

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The Absorbing Man Mantis Mysterio The Green Goblin Kraven the Hunter Odin The Black Panther Bucky Barnes Quicksilver The Grim Reaper Shanna the She-Devil Medusa The Rawhide Kid The Vulture The Mandarin The Golem Ka-Zar The Red Ghost The Plunderer The Sub-Mariner Sif Iceman General Ross

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Cyclops The Son of Satan Marvel Girl Super Skrull The Vision The Lizard Kingpin The Stranger Morbius Dormammu The Swordsman The Owl Kang The Ghost Rider The Rhino Mary Jane Watson Dragon Man Dr. Doom Lilith (Dracula’s Daughter) Baron Zemo J. Jonah Jameson The Leader Hammerhead

• • • • • • • • • • •

Hercules Hela (The Goddess of Death) Byrrah The Silver Surfer Electro Mole Man Dr. Octopus Black Knight The Puppet Master Sandman Galactus

“Series B” stamps: • • • • • • • • • •

The Amazing Spider-Man Captain America Conan the Barbarian Dr. Strange Dracula The Fantastic Four The Incredible Hulk The Silver Surfer Stan (The Man) Lee The Mighty Thor

Stuck Up Examples of both series of stamps taped inside their booklets. Note how “Series B”’s ten stamps combine to form a single image. Courtesy of Heritage. TM & © Marvel Characters, Inc.

be displayed in a new Marvel Value Stamp Book that kids sent away for. This set was a little more complex than the “Series A” group, which contained only single images of characters on each stamp. This new set featured “puzzle-piece” stamps which could be placed together to form larger images. There were ten stamps per image, and ten images total. This series lasted a shorter period of time (approximately from December 1975 through August 1976) and involved a much smaller number of comics; each stamp appeared only once or twice. Unfortunately, there were no major prizes from this series other than more discount coupons. As stated above, a lot of Marvel Comics from this era were turned into nothing but Papier-mâché because of eager kids’ scissors and the Mighty Marvel Bullpen cheering them on to “collect ’em all.” An issue with its stamp clipped loses approximately 75% of its current value on today’s market. It is so important in grading that it even has a term specifically created to identify it: “The Marvel Value Stamp Flaw.” Of all the landmark comics included in this promotion, none are greater than The Incredible Hulk #180, 181, and 182 (which chronicle the first appearance of Wolverine). High-grade copies of #181 can sell for thousands upon thousands of dollars on auction. So if you’re ever in the market of buying and selling any of these issues, be sure to look and see if the stamps are still intact within them. And what about the actual “clipped” stamps and “send-away” albums today? Did they hold up their so-called Marvel “value”? Well … in a way, they have (depending on how you look at it). Unstamped albums can sell anywhere between $75.00 to $150.00, depending on condition, I’ve seen completed albums go for $200-plus, and individual stamps can sometimes hit up to $1.00. Either way, the entire Marvel Value Stamps event was one that the True Believers during the Bronze Age will always remember for better or for worse … and that’s how Stan Lee probably planned it anyways. Excelsior!

16 • BACK ISSUE • Let’s Get Small Issue

John “THE MEGO E STR TCH HULK” Cimino by

Little Man with a Big Future Wolverine, the pintsized powerhouse (that’s why he’s in this “Let’s Get Small” issue, bub!), premiered in (left) the cliffhanger of The Incredible Hulk #180 (Oct. 1974), returning the next issue (right) for his first full appearance. (He also briefly appeared in #182.) TM & © Marvel Characters, Inc.

First appearing in the pages of The Incredible Hulk #180 (in the last panel), with his first full-blown appearance in Hulk #181 (Nov. 1974), Wolverine came out like a ferocious firecracker. No one knew anything about him other than the fact that he was Canadian, had these coollooking claws, and was cocky enough to challenge the power of the Hulk.

Well, after you read this article, you are going to have to come up with your own conclusions of where the Ol’ Canuck-lehead originated. So put on a hot pot of coffee, get your trench coat, top hat, and a pen and paper, because we have a little mystery to solve… (Where’s the Scooby-Doo gang when you need ’em?)

VERY FEW OF US ARE WHAT WE SEEM

JUST THE FACTS, MA’AM

The origin of Wolverine, the character, was at first shrouded in mystery. There were constant questions that puzzled readers throughout the years. How old is he? When did he get his claws? Can he die? How did he get his Adamantium skeleton? Were all his memories of his past true or implanted programs? What is his real name? Is Sabretooth his father, brother, cousin, or…? Did the Weapon X experiment really happen? Was he a mutant or a mutated wolverine? The questions just went on and on, as he was an enigma. Years later, Wolverine’s beginnings were finally revealed in the six-issue limited series Origin (2001). But even after that revelation, there were still many unanswered questions. Even Wolverine himself is not sure of what is real or what has been made up. As the readers know, this is all just comic-book fantasy rhetoric. All the mystery is fun and interesting, and it keeps the character fresh and exciting. Those are just a few reasons why this guy is so popular with fans. But would you believe that the “real” origin of Wolverine is also as convoluted and shrouded in as much mystery as the comic stories themselves? Yes, my fellow readers, the creation and first appearance of this character has recently become an unsolved mystery unto itself in the annals of comic-collecting lore. Did you know that it may or may not have been discovered that Wolverine had appeared in an issue well before his appearance in The Incredible Hulk? How can this be?, you might ask.

The concept of Wolverine originally came from the mind of “Rascally” Roy Thomas. As the right-hand man and successor of Stan “The Man” Lee as the editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics, Roy had the perfect mind for the industry. First, he was a fan who loved reading comics as a kid, so when he later wrote them, his stories featured brilliant, sweeping storylines that captured the readers’ imaginations and kept them coming back for more. But most importantly, he understood how the business worked. Here is Mr. Thomas, in his own words, discussing the step-by-step process behind his creation of a character called “the Wolverine”: “As editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics in 1974, I was keenly aware that 5–10% of Marvel’s sales were in Canada, and it seemed to me that we should have a Canadian hero. “So I took Len Wein out to lunch and told him that I wanted him, in The Incredible Hulk, to at once introduce a character called the Wolverine. (I had had in mind possibly calling the character the Wolverine or the Badger, but I decided Wolverine was better. ‘Badger’ can have the unfortunate connection of simply complaining or annoying someone, while ‘wolverine’ even has the sound of ‘wolf’ in it to some extent. So Wolverine it was. Earlier, apparently, Dave Cockrum had showed me a sheet with a bunch of his space heroes, one of whom was named Wolverine … but I have no conscious memory if I was influenced by it. Anyway, nothing was done with Let’s Get Small Issue

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those characters at that time. Nor did I need anyone to tell me what a wolverine was … and Marvel had been naming heroes and villains after animals since at least Spider-Man in 1962, and that doesn’t count anyone perhaps in the Golden Age.) “I told Len I wanted him to write the character because I had liked the accent he had given Brother Voodoo earlier (Jamaican for a Haitian character, but at least it had character, and Len did it well). I gave it to him because he was a good writer, and because I was busy with plenty of other stuff just then. “I had only three requirements of the Wolverine, all of which I gave to Len at that lunch: (1) He was Canadian, and announced as such right away. (2) He was short, because a wolverine is a small animal. (3) He had a quick temper, because wolverines are known for being fierce and taking on beasts far bigger than they are. “I don’t know if I contributed anything more to the character, or to Len’s plot. That was his job. Well, since art director John Romita remembers me asking him to design a wolverine costume, I may have looked at it once or twice before Herb Trimpe drew it into the story … but I don’t recall. Nor did I have any special truck with Len or Herb about the character after that. I had done my job—which included creating the general concept and name of a character called the Wolverine, who would be introduced as a villain (but, of course, at Marvel, that didn’t mean he wouldn’t be a hero any day now, and I wouldn’t have bothered conceiving a Canadian super-character who was ONLY going to be a villain, would I? That might just annoy Canadians, when I was trying to give them an extra reason to buy Marvel comics). After that, Len did his, which included developing the Wolverine. I consider that I, Len Wein, John Romita, and Herb Trimpe are all the co-creators of the Wolverine, in that chronological order— no one else was involved, unless you want to count the colorist.”

THE FURTHER ADVENTURES OF WOLVERINE As you probably know, other writers and artists came along and had their take on Wolverine after the stories in The Incredible Hulk #180–182. These are the creators that further developed the character into a legend in the Marvel mythos:

First Looks (left) John Romita, Sr.’s original character designs for Wolverine. Hulk artist Herb Trimpe worked from these designs. (right) Andy Olsen’s “The Wolverine” submission from FOOM #2. TM & © Marvel Characters, Inc.

18 • BACK ISSUE • Let’s Get Small Issue

• Gil Kane: Accidently changed Wolverine’s mask on the cover of Giant-Size X-Men #1 (1975) from the original design that John Romita came up with and gave him that cool “Batman” look. • Dave Cockrum: Came up with the idea of the claws being part of Wolverine’s body and was the first to draw the mutant unmasked with his funky hairstyle and hairy chest (!). • John Byrne: Modernized Wolverine and gave him the iconic look and feel that has become the standard for other artists. • And last but certainly not least, Chris Claremont: Wrote and developed the heart and soul of Wolverine. He fleshed out and streamlined the past, present, and future of the character and gave him his Clint Eastwood/Dirty Harry/Outlaw Josie Wales attitude/ personality/speech that comics fans adored. Claremont’s work is the foundation and the benchmark of who Wolverine is, and all writers just expand on the concepts that he already laid out (he isn’t called “the father of the X-Men” for nothing). Claremont’s also the guy who gave Wolvie his real name: “Logan” (and that’s a great name, bub). Well, there you have it; the creation of Wolverine—this case is closed!! …Or is it?

THE WORLD IS FULL OF OBVIOUS THINGS WHICH NOBODY BY ANY CHANCE EVER OBSERVES Enter FOOM magazine (also written as F.O.O.M. or Friends Of Ol’ Marvel). Produced by Marvel Comics, FOOM started in 1973 and ran until 1978, for a total of 22 quarterly issues. It was initially designed and edited by superstar writer/artist Jim Steranko. FOOM was intended to represent a fan voice for Marvel and take it a step further from what Marvel originally did with the fanzine/ catalog Marvelmania back in 1969 (that ran until 1971, for a total of six issues). In FOOM #1 (Feb. 1973), there was a competition for readers to create their own character in the “Marvel style.” Many fans who entered actually became future industry professionals such as artists Steve Rude, Hugh Haynes, Trevor von Eeden, and Tom Lyle; Marvel art director/writer/editor Mariano Nicieza; Marvel Age editor Steve Saffel; comic writer Stefan Petrucha; and a host of others. The winner of the contest was an artist named Michael A. Barreiro (who did some future work for Marvel and Dark Horse Comics). His “Humus Sapiens” character eventually appeared in Thunderbolts #55 (2001)—28 years later, due to Marvel forgetting about the contest entirely (!). Before Marvel’s first Canadian hero made his legendary debut, FOOM #2 (Summer 1973) presented the first of two double-page spreads of submitted fan art. While many concepts had interesting

Wannabes Contest entries as they appeared in (top) FOOM #3 and (bottom) FOOM #4. We here at BACK ISSUE Central are keeping our fingers crossed for the debuts of Gobbler and Black Savage. TM & © Marvel Characters, Inc.

looks and powers, it was the character submitted by a then-15-year-old comic fan named Andy Olsen (one of the runners-up) that was the most intriguing. The character seemed to be built from some weird, high-tech experiment, had a metal bone structure under his flesh, and, most interestingly, possessed a healing factor. Does any of this sound familiar? Ironically, it was a character that he aptly named … the Wolverine!!! (SNIKT??) Here is Andy Olsen talking about the contest and his creation: “I knew there would be hundreds of entries, but just the thought of Stan ‘The Man’ Lee actually seeing my work was simply too exciting to pass up. andy olsen “So I gave it some thought:

“First you need a name … for some reason, it always seems to describe the hero. “You never have a superhero named Larry or Bob. “So I looked for an interesting name to build off of. “Bats? Nope. “Spiders? Done. “Koalas? Too cute. “I had heard of an animal called a wolverine. From what I knew it was reputed to be, poundfor-pound, the meanest animal on Earth. Not even Grizzly bears would tangle with one. It would be a worthy attitude to fight crime with. Wolverine it was. “So I set on using that as a base concept. If you notice in my adolescent sketch, there is a pattern on the back of his costume that mimics the fur Let’s Get Small Issue

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Canadian Cut-Up Wolverine in a 1985 Romita sketch from the Paul Sager collection, via Jerry Boyd. BTW, we’ll explore Wolvie’s heritage next year in BACK ISSUE #83, themed “International Heroes.” TM & © Marvel Characters, Inc.

shading of the animal as well as the front mask, sort of like the markings of its head. “The details other than those elude me. But looking back on the sketch, [Wolverine] seemed to have a metal skeleton and no claws, because I couldn’t imagine a superhero scratching an opponent. Sissies scratch. “I sat down and worked up my sketches, eventually working up a finished drawing to send off.” So, are the similarities between Andy Olsen’s Wolverine and Marvel Comics’ Wolverine just one big coincidence? Here are a few other things to consider. Looking closely at the costume of Andy’s design, it seems to have a vague resemblance to the one worn by the Marvel character (the mask particularly has almost the same look as both of the designs that John Romita and Gil Kane came up with). And wouldn’t you know it, the ever-Incredible Hulk just so happens to be on the cover of FOOM #2 (beautifully drawn by Jim Steranko), which pre-dates Wolverine’s debut in Incredible Hulk #180. (WOW!)

THERE’S ONLY ONE TRUTH So, taking this case to the streets (like a good detective should), I’ve noticed that when talking to comics readers and Wolverine fanboys, a few of them actually believe that in some sort of way Andy Olsen’s Wolverine influenced the creation of Marvel’s Wolverine. I’m usually told that there are too many coincidences are there to overlook—especially the metal skeleton and healing-factor power. Plus, it’s ironic that Marvel put out a character called Wolverine such a short time after the FOOM contest ended. Whether you believe all this or not, it does make for some good comic-shop talk. What I can do, though, is go straight to the source … creators Roy Thomas and Len Wein. These are the two guys who have the most say when it comes to the development of Wolverine, and they can set the record straight. Roy Thomas: “I probably saw this, as I saw all issues of FOOM … but though I can hardly deny any subconscious borrowing because it would be subconscious, I’d been aware of wolverines for many a year and hardly needed any help coming up with that and badger as prospective names for a Canadian hero. I wouldn’t have given the 20 • BACK ISSUE • Let’s Get Small Issue

FOOM thing a passing thought if I noticed it at all. It has, so far as I’m concerned, zero to do with the Marvel character.” Len Wein: “Ah. Actually, I don’t even remember the FOOM character, so, no … he had no effect on me. Sorry.” What about the person in the eye of this storm, Andy Olsen? He isn’t the young and naïve 15-year-old Stan Lee-loving teenager anymore. He’s now 57, a graphic designer, and doesn’t read comics much. Looking back on this has kind of left a bad taste in his mouth and made him wish he had kept his original sketch. “I felt rather used and stupid to send in my idea,” Olsen admits, “because I mentioned it to my uncle, who was an established commercial artist on Madison Avenue, New York, who replied: ‘You did WHAT?? You idiot! Don’t you know what these guys do? They pull ideas from YOU kids, make money off it, and pay you NOTHING!!’ He probably used other colorful words, but that’s the best I can remember. “That was the end of it. Time moved on and so did I. Even comics lost my interest. “Fast-forward a few years later, when I was a college student. I passed a comic-book stand and noticed a Marvel X-Men title with a character called Wolverine on it. “ ‘Really, he’s in X-MEN???’ “Of all the Marvel heroes, the X-Men were, I felt, the bottom feeders. “Then it hit me. I’d been had … my uncle was right. “My regard for Marvel and Stan Lee was so high it never dawned on me the contest was harvesting concepts to breathe some freshness into their lineup.” Now, all this might garner a big “Yeah, riiiight…” from some of you. But despite what you might think, FOOM #2 has increased dramatically in value within the last year. Auctions on eBay usually tag this issue with “First prototype Wolverine appearance” and a high-grade copy can fetch upwards of $400 (I’m even guilty of selling a few of these issues for top dollar to Wolverine completists). That’s pretty amazing considering just a few years ago, the issue would only sell within the $40 to $50 range. Hey, as long as there’s interest, the value will continue to climb up—and those are the straight-up facts! There is no denying the impression this speculation has put into the open market. So I’ll ask again: Is this all just one big coincidence? I guess it’s up for you to decide. Regardless of what anyone thinks, it has made an impact and garnered quite a cult following. And a young boy with a big dream will forever be etched into the mythos of one of Marveldom’s most popular characters alongside the titans of the industry. And that’s something he should be commended for. Case closed … SNIKT!!!! [Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in “Off My Chest” guest editorials do not necessarily reflect the views of BACK ISSUE magazine or TwoMorrows Publishing.] JOHN CIMINO is a Silver and Bronze Age comic, cartoon, and memorabilia expert who runs a business called Saturday Morning Collectibles. He buys, sells, and gives appraisals on everything pop culture, so if you’ve got something special, let him know about it. He blogs on comics and pop culture at hero-envy.blogspot.com and has written and starred in the Hero Envy webisode series. He is also the host of the Reckless Sidekick “Swass-Cast” and has contributed to the Hero Envy comic book, all seen at heroenvy.com. John thinks he’s really Captain Marvel. People don’t have the heart to tell him he’s just an obsessed fanboy who loves to play superheroes with his daughter Bryn. Contact him at johnstretch@live.com and have some fun.

The Wedding of Ray Palmer and Jean Loring by

(top) This doublepage spread from Justice League of America #157 (Aug. 1978) depicted the Tiny Titan’s wedding. Even the Phantom Stranger showed up! Art by Dick Dillin and Frank McLaughlin. In case those ghostly superhero images weren’t enough to identify the JLAers’ alter egos, this key (bottom), in the same issue, told readers who’s who.

J o h n Tr u m b u l l

TM & © DC Comics.

The Atom debuted in Showcase #34 (Sept.–Oct. 1961) in a story by Gardner Fox and Gil Kane. Like the Flash, Green Lantern, and Hawkman before him, the Atom was a revival of a Golden Age hero given a science-fiction spin by editor Julius “Julie” Schwartz. Ivy Town physicist Ray Palmer uncovers the secret of size reduction by combining the matter of a white dwarf star with ultraviolet light, but he cannot stabilize the reaction enough to keep the compressed objects from exploding. When caught in a cave-in on a nature hike, Ray desperately tries to find a way out for his students. Finding only a tiny opening in the cave wall, Ray shrinks himself to six inches, hoping to expand the opening enough for the others to escape. To his surprise, Ray survives his suicide mission, discovering that some unknown factor in his genetic makeup helps him withstand the shrinking process. Creating a costume of white-dwarf-star fibers to control his size changes, Ray Palmer becomes the crime-fighting Atom. Named by editor Schwartz after science-fiction editor Raymond A. Palmer and modeled by artist Kane after actor Robert Taylor, the Atom quickly distinguished himself among DC’s stable of superheroes. He captured criminals to aid his girlfriend Jean Loring’s law career, in the hopes that she would someday accept one of his many marriage proposals. He fought supervillains such as Chronos the Time-Thief, Jason Woodrue the Floronic Man, and the Bug-Eyed Bandit. He took periodic time-trips in his friend Professor Alpheus Hyatt’s Time Pool. He joined DC’s preeminent superteam in Justice League of America #14 (Sept. 1962), headlined his

own title, and made the leap to television in animated adventures from Filmation in 1967. Near the end of the Silver Age, slumping sales reduced the Atom into sharing space with his Justice League cohort Hawkman, as The Atom became The Atom and Hawkman from #39–45 (Nov. 1968–Nov. 1969). After the merged series was canceled, the Atom appropriately spent much of the ’70s and the ’80s in smaller roles and shorter features.

BRONZE AGE BEGINNINGS For much of the Bronze Age, Atom fans could count on his semi-regular appearances in the pages of the Justice League of America. Since the Atom and Hawkman series ended with Ray Palmer’s fiancée Jean Loring suffering a nervous breakdown, JLA was the logical place to tie up that loose end. In Justice League of America #80 (May 1970), “Night of the Soul-Stealer!” by Denny O’Neil and Dick Dillin, Hawkman and Hawkgirl determine that Jean is “beyond any Earth-type help” and try to cure her insanity on their home planet Thanagar. Unfortunately, their ship is intercepted en route by Norch Lor, a Thanagarian, who steals their souls in an ancient “Ghenna Box.” As Norch Lor journeys to Earth, he manages to also capture the souls of Batman and Green Arrow. It all

Let’s Get Small Issue

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The Many Faces of Ray Palmer (left) Sci-fi editor and the Atom’s namesake Raymond A. Palmer. (center) Actor Robert Taylor, upon whose looks artist Gil Kane patterned the face of (right) DC’s Ray Palmer, seen here from the Atom’s origin in Showcase #34. Ray Palmer/the Atom TM & © DC Comics.

leads to a suspenseful climax where the Atom launches himself out of Martin Pasko took over writing the Atom’s solo adventures with an airlock without a spacesuit to retrieve the Ghenna Box in the ten Action Comics #438–439 (Aug.–Sept. 1974). In #438’s “The Man Who seconds before he succumbs to exposure. Tape-Recorded the Atom!,” rival scientist Dr. Myles Adrian’s own Justice League of America #81 (June 1970), reveals that Norch Lor experiments in size-changing have trapped him at five feet tall. Adrian actually has noble intentions: He is stealing souls to protect Thanagar cleverly captures the Atom by turning his old telephone-travelling trick from the true villain, the Jest-Master, who is triggering bouts of insanity against him, trapping him on the cassette of an answering machine. throughout the galaxy. When the JLAers enter the region of space In #439’s “Danger in Two Dimensions!,” Dr. Adrian gains the power to under the Jest-Master’s influence, they discover that Jean is becoming shrink horizontally, reducing himself to “a ‘two-dimensional’ man with more rational while they go berserk. Using Jean’s stability to lead them height and depth but no visible width.” Pasko continued to write the through the insanity field, the Leaguers reach the villain’s headquarters. Atom feature through Action Comics #454 (Dec. 1975), with various There, the Atom uses his size-changing powers to make the Jest-Master artists illustrating. The Atom guest-starred with Superman again in doubt his own sanity, resulting in his defeat and a permanent Action Comics #455 (Jan. 1976). In a full-length story cure for Jean’s insanity. When a sobbing Jean is asked by Maggin and Curt Swan, the Tiny Titan enters the bottle what’s wrong, she responds, “Nothing … and that’s why city of Kandor and compares notes on size-changing I’m crying!—for joy! I’m myself again—I’m cured!” with the miniaturized Kryptonians inside. JLA artist Dick Dillin also illustrated a story by Elliot S. One of the Atom’s most memorable Bronze Age Maggin in World’s Finest Comics #213 (Aug.–Sept. 1972), adventures occurred in a team-up with Batman in as the Atom and Superman team up to save a subThe Brave and the Bold #115 (Oct.–Nov. 1974). In atomic world inside a telephone wire. At the end, Bob Haney and Jim Aparo’s “The Corpse That as Superman muses on the life-and-death decisions Wouldn’t Die!,” Batman is left clinically dead by an he regularly has to make, an impressed Ray Palmer electrical shock on page five, and the Atom devises reflects: “I always thought Superguy was just a musclea plan to shrink down and take a fantastic voyage bound enforcer of his definition of justice! Never knew straight to Batman’s brain. Receiving signals from a he was so … sensitive! I respect him a lot more now!” camera on Batman’s chest, the Atom operates Batman The Atom often made vital contributions to the by remote control, stomping on the appropriate Dick Dillin JLA’s adventures. In Justice League of America #94 (Nov. areas of his brain to implant ideas and stimulate Photo by Alan Light. 1971), when the archer Merlyn shoots Superman with motor responses. Together, the two heroes defeat an arrow that gradually increases the pull of gravity, the Atom saves the the villains and rescue the damsel in distress. Despite writer Bob Man of Steel’s life by enlarging the arrow with his size-changing belt until Haney’s trademark distain for continuity (the normally six-foot Ray it explodes. Justice League of America #112 (Aug. 1974) shows the Atom Palmer is boosted up to six-foot-two in one caption), there’s no denying having the brainstorm of using the League’s android foe Amazo to regain that this is one of the standout stories of the Atom’s entire history. the team’s lost powers. And in JLA #115 (Feb. 1975), the Atom again wins TINY TITAN, TEAM PLAYER the day when he has the JLA exchange powers with each other. As the 1970s rolled on, the Atom continued popping up in the DC In Detective Comics #432 (Feb. 1973), when one of Jean Loring’s clients vanishes on the witness stand, the Atom uses Professor Hyatt’s Universe whenever a hero needed a hand. The Tiny Titan monitors Time Pool to follow him back to October 8, 1871. The time-travelling the Amazing Amazon in Wonder Woman #220 (Oct.–Nov. 1975), as fugitive accidentally causes the Great Chicago Fire while trying to she strives to regain her JLA membership, defeating the Atom’s old escape from the Mighty Mite. Artist Murphy Anderson provides a solid foe, Chronos. In Bob Haney and Dick Dillin’s World’s Finest #236 art job, spelling out “ATOM” in the panels of page one and giving Ray (Mar. 1976), the Atom guest stars in a Superman/Batman team-up as Palmer muttonchops that would put Monkee Mike Nesmith to shame. a little girl and a heroic cop are both stricken with a mysterious disease. Elliot Maggin went on to write several more Atom tales in alternating The Mighty Mite fights off the microbes inside the body of the girl while issues of Action Comics. With JLA’s Dick Dillin on art chores, these an infected Batman struggles to find the disease carrier. Elliot S. Maggin’s backups put new twists on several old plot devices from the Atom’s and José Luis García-López’s “Seven-Foot-Two … and Still Growing!” solo series: Helping Jean Loring clear an innocent client in #425 from Superman #302 (Aug. 1976) displays the Atom’s status as the (July 1973), fighting Chronos in #427 (Sept. 1973), being mistaken DC Universe’s go-to guy for size changes when he helps defeat Lex for his own action figure in #430 (Dec. 1973), discovering a creature Luthor’s scheme to make the Man of Steel grow uncontrollably. A two-part team-up by Bob Haney and Jim Aparo begins in The from a sub-atomic world in #443 (Mar. 1974), and being tempted to Brave and the Bold #129 (Sept. 1976) and features the Atom with tell Jean his secret identity in #435 (May 1974). 22 • BACK ISSUE • Let’s Get Small Issue

Batman and Green Arrow. A down-on-his-luck Emerald Archer gets embroiled in a get-rich quick scheme involving the Emperor Eagle statue, a stand-in for the Maltese Falcon, whose curse brought about the downfalls of Alexander the Great, Napoleon, and Adolf Hitler. While bringing the Eagle back to the US, Oliver (Green Arrow) Queen’s flight is hijacked by the Joker and Two-Face and is diverted to the Eagle’s home country of Pathanistan. There, a kangaroo court finds Queen guilty of unlawfully owning a national treasure and sentences him to be executed. Pathanistan’s General Khan declares that that the honor of killing Green Arrow will go to the first horseman to successfully thread his lance through a dangling ring. Batman cleverly uses the Atom to defect the other horsemen’s blades and ensure that his own lance hits the target. In B&B #130 (Oct. 1976), Green Arrow’s obsession with the Emperor Eagle continues to endanger both himself and his friends. Batman is presumed dead for most of the issue, giving GA and the Atom a chance to shine. One of the more memorable feats involves Green Arrow shooting the Atom into a lock, which the six-inch hero then opens by moving the tumblers inside. The Atom also uses his scientific knowledge of specific gravity to deduce that the Emperor Eagle is composed not of the iron of legend, but concealed gold, rubies, and diamonds. The story ends with the cursed statue toppling the evil General Khan over a cliff, while the Joker and Two-Face are left with a worthless replica. The Atom is the first hero to go up against the Calculator in Detective Comics #463 (Sept. 1976). He makes a cameo in the next issue’s Black Canary/ Calculator story before teaming up with his fellow Justice Leaguers to take down the villain once and for all in issue #468 (April 1977). [Editor’s note: For more details on these stories, see the Calculator’s “Bring on the Bad Guys” feature in BACK ISSUE #12.] At the opening of Steve Englehart and Dick Dillin’s “Return From Forever!” in Justice League of America #142 (May 1977), Ray Palmer is experiencing doubts about his place in the Justice League. He confides in his teammates Aquaman and the Elongated Man, “What earthly good is this power of mine, except on rare and special occasions? Last night I skipped a special JLA meeting to tail some crooks and the police took ’em before I could throw a punch! Controlling my size and weight makes me a health spa instructor, not a hero!” While his teammates are both sympathetic to the Atom’s plight, they point out that their specialized superpowers can still save the day, even in a group of heavyhitters like Superman. Then, as if to prove their point, a green-skinned, telepathic alien named Willow crash-lands in the Atlantic Ocean. Willow is being pursued by the Construct, an evil computerized being created from the signals of Earth’s electronic devices. Willow chooses the Atom as her protector while Aquaman and the Elongated Man save Miami from the Construct’s death-ray.

Never Shrinking from Duty Snippets from two Atom team-ups with Batman from The Brave and the Bold, with art by the incomparable Jim Aparo: (top) Atom inside Batman’s brain, from the offbeat issue #115, and (bottom) a great size-changing sequence, from #152. TM & © DC Comics.

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Although initially held back by his lack of faith in himself, the Atom ultimately defeats the Construct by shrinking to the size of a true atom. This enables him to travel along the Construct’s deathrays and blow up the villain from the inside. The now-safe Willow then reveals the truth about herself—she is pregnant with the first of a new, star-faring race. Thanks to the Atom, Willow is able to give birth on a secluded island without the Construct’s knowledge. Knowing that only he among all of the World’s Greatest Superheroes could have saved the day, the Atom discovers his self-worth once again. He agrees to keep Willow’s secret for the rest of his days, so that she and her new child can be safe. Steve Englehart recalled in a 2008 interview on Rob Kelly’s JLAsatellite.blogspot.com, “I came to [writing the JLA] knowing what I knew about the guys in the DC Universe, so I knew that Aquaman, the Atom, and the Elongated Man were sort of the second tier of the group, and it would seem to me that they would know it, and yet one of the things I tried to play up in the Justice League was this sense was that … if you were a member, you were a member. Nobody ever looked at [the Atom] and said, ‘You’re second-rate’— he might have thought it, and if you hang out with Superman, Batman, Flash, Green Lantern, and Wonder Woman, you might think it, you know, so that’s why he thought it.”

SUPER-TEAM FAMILY AND THE QUEST FOR JEAN The Atom showed no shortage of confidence in the double-length anthology Super-Team Family, in a significant storyline that would see him scour the DC Universe in search of his fiancée, Jean Loring. According to writer Gerry Conway, this arc was directly inspired by Zatanna’s debut, where the Maid of Magic enlisted the aid of various JLAers over several months to rescue her father Zatara from a mystical imprisonment. In Super-Team Family #11 (June–July 1977), Jean Loring, Iris West, and Linda Danvers are all kidnapped by Justice League villain T. O. Morrow and taken to a living alien planet under Morrow’s control. The Atom, Flash, and Supergirl are able to defeat Morrow and rescue the ladies, but the trauma triggers another nervous breakdown in Jean. The living planet, unable to handle the waves of Jean’s mental anguish, teleports her away to parts unknown. Super-Team Family #12 (Aug.–Sept. 1977) continues the search, with the Atom recruiting Hawkman and Green Lantern to

help him find his fiancée. As the trio track Jean to the alien planets of Titan and Auria, Hawkman grows increasingly concerned over the Atom’s mental state. After rescuing the two worlds endangered by Jean’s power, the heroes realize that the energy Jean received from the living planet is bouncing her from world to world. Jean’s power grows more dangerous as she reappears on Earth in Super-Team Family #13 (Oct.–Nov. 1977), and the Atom, Aquaman, and Captain Comet strive to contain the volcanoes, earthquakes, and tidal waves caused by the uncontrollable energy inside of her. Jean is finally found in the undersea city of Lemuria, beneath the Pacific Ocean. The Atom enters Jean’s brain to release the pent-up energy, but Lemuria’s scientists confirm that the cure is only temporary. To ensure that Jean’s powers do not destroy the entire Earth, she must remain comatose. In Secret Society of Super Villains #10 (Oct. 1977), Gorilla Grodd and Star Sapphire kidnap Jean and harness her to a machine to utilize her disaster-causing powers. The Atom’s struggle comes to a climax in SuperTeam Family #14 (Dec. 1977–Jan. 1978) as Wonder Woman aids him in rescuing his fiancée from the Secret Society. Star Sapphire traps the Atom by increasing his density to five times its normal size. Ray Palmer escapes by struggling against gravity to remove his costume, painfully forcing his molecular structure to expand back to its full size. Jean is finally restored to normal when Grodd’s device burns out her excess energy. The story ends with the happily reunited Ray and Jean settling on a wedding date. When asked why she is finally ready to plan their wedding, Jean replies, “I supposed what’s happened has made me realize how fragile our lives are. If it hadn’t been for the Atom, I wouldn’t be a lawyer or your wife. It’s made me aware of things I still want to do with my life—and one of them is marry a scientist named Ray Palmer.” Ray asks Jean if Solivar and Wonder Woman can attend the wedding. Jean not only accepts this, but asks if the Atom can be Ray’s best man! [Editor’s note: For more about this storyline, see the article “We Are Super-Team Family” in BACK ISSUE #66.]

HAPPILY EVER AFTER…?

Mind Games The Atom once again goes on a fantastic voyage inside a human brain—this time, Jean Loring’s! Original art page from Super-Team Family #13, drawn by Arvell Jones and Romeo Tanghal. Courtesy of Heritage Comics Auctions (www.ha.com). TM & © DC Comics.

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Soon after the Super-Team Family storyline, Gerry Conway became the writer of the Justice League of America. After years of writing at the more characterization-heavy Marvel Comics, Conway found the plot-oriented approach of the JLA to be an interesting adjustment: “DC’s approach toward characterization was what I would call the puzzle technique. How does a character solve a puzzle, how does a particular character’s superpowers inform his choices, that sort of thing, as opposed to what drives him as a human being, which is a whole other level. Characters like Ray Palmer didn’t have very much going on from a personal point of view, so they were more defined by their power and how that would affect their way of puzzling out of a crisis. I would try to still keep characterization and keep an emotional core to what was going on, but ultimately, the Atom is going to be looking at a problem from the

One You Might Have Missed The World’s Smallest Super-Hero was one of the champions spotlighted in 1977’s Five-Star Super-Hero Spectacular. Here’s that one-shot’s table of contents (by Aparo) and Atom splash page (with credits listed). TM & © DC Comics.

point of view of a six-inch-tall person. [laughs] It’s shallow, it’s admittedly a superhero’s marriage? “How about honesty? [laughs] It was a different very shallow, but that was sort of the sea we were swimming in. I time, but it was a very bad idea. Let’s put it that way.” enjoyed that gimmicky sort of thinking. For better or worse, it was The wedding jitters continue in JLA #156 (July 1978), as the Atom one of the things I thought I did fairly well.” agonizes over whether or not to reveal his secret. The Mighty Mite gets As Conway became JLA’s regular writer, he wasted no time in conflicting counsel from the other Leaguers, but ultimately declares, continuing the wedding plans he set up over in Super-Team Family. “I appreciate your advice, but the time for it is over. This is my life … Justice League of America #151 (Feb. 1978) opens with Wonder and Jean’s. I have to make the decision … me! Shouldn’t be too hard, Woman, Black Canary, and Hawkgirl on monitor duty while all the male right? After all, what’s at stake? Only the rest of our lives…” Conway Leaguers hold the Atom’s bachelor party in the conference room of enjoyed this subplot, as it let him put more characterization into the the JLA satellite—in full costume. This awkward and offbeat JLA: “It was a fun way to address that issue, and it gave me an gathering of the World’s Greatest Superheroes actually had opportunity to put in some more personal conversations a basis in fact. Conway recalls, “That was based on my than you would expect to have in the Justice League.” bachelor party. I had a very lame bachelor party when Finally, by Justice League of America #157 (Aug. 1978), I married my first wife [in 1974]. It was basically “Till Doom Do Us Part!,” Ray has made his decision, me, Len Wein, Doug Moench, Archie Goodwin, Roy and reveals his Atom identity to Jean Loring on the Thomas, [and] Chris Claremont, we were all just night before their marriage. Jean is stunned, even sort of standing around awkwardly, I think in Doug’s considering calling off the wedding. The issue ends apartment, eating hors d’oeuvres. Just the lamest with Ray waiting at the church, not sure if his bride possible party. I always felt like, ‘Oh, that wasn’t very will even show up. When she finally arrives, Jean tells good. That wasn’t a blowout kind of bachelor party.’ Ray in a private moment before the ceremony: “No “I think [the Atom’s bachelor party] was to be apologies, Ray. We both said things we regret. You funny, too. For the most part, the Leaguers all know were unfair to me … but I was unfair to you, too. each other’s identities, but I’m sure there’s at least All the years you were the Atom you were pursuing gerry conway one or two in there who didn’t know. So, if you’re your career, just as I pursued mine as a lawyer. I once going to get everybody together, you can’t all told you I wouldn’t marry until I’d established myself show up at Bruce Wayne’s mansion and hang out. You have to find in the law, and that was as unfair as your secret … maybe more so. neutral ground, and the idea that it would be up at the satellite … it’s But love is learning about yourself and your loved one … so let’s keep a very lame sort of party.” on learning about ourselves … now, and for all our tomorrows.” In Justice League of America #155 (June 1978), the Atom worries And so, in a wonderful double-page spread by Dick Dillin and over whether or not he should reveal his secret identity to Jean, as Frank McLaughlin spotlighting all the JLAers and their secret identities, he’s unsure how she might take the news. On a moonlit walk with Ray Palmer and Jean Loring are married at last. But if you’re wondering Jean, Ray thinks, “Precisely because of your nervous breakdowns, how Ray and Jean explained the attendance of folks like Clark Kent, I’ve never revealed the truth about my alter ego, the Atom! I’ve always Bruce Wayne, and King Solivar to their other wedding guests, Gerry feared the revelation might upset you … perhaps cause another Conway has no answers to offer. “The Bronze Age era was probably breakdown… But now that we’re going to be husband and wife— the last era of comics where you didn’t ask these questions,” he I wonder if I have the right to keep silent any longer?” And where laughs. “In that era, that was just kind of how you did things. does the Gerry Conway of today stand on the issue of what’s best for Awkward and weird!” Let’s Get Small Issue

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NOT READY FOR PRIME TIME Not long after Ray and Jean got married in the comics, the Atom made his live-action debut marrying another comic-book character: Giganta! Stuntman Alfie Wise played the Atom in a short sketch on the infamous Legends of the SuperHeroes TV special “The Roast” (January 25, 1979), featuring Adam West and Burt Ward as Batman and Robin along with a score of DC Comics heroes and villains. The short consisted of an oblivious Mighty Mite not seeing any obstacles in marriage to a villainess who can grow up to several hundred feet. It’s hard to imagine a less-dignified prime-time debut for our size-changing hero (even Marvel’s Ant-Man got to be memorably portrayed by Garrett Morris on Saturday Night Live), but at least TV’s Atom got a more exciting bachelor party than his comic-book counterpart: According to gossip reporter Rhoda Rooter (a parody of 1970s gossip columnist Rona Barrett), our six-inch hero got to see a girl step out of a cupcake! [Editor’s note: For a behind-the-scenes look at Legends of the SuperHeroes, including the revelation of Giganta’s big surprise, see BI #25.] The Atom fared much better in his return to animation when he guest-starred on several episodes of Super Friends in the late ’70s and early ’80s. See the sidebar below for further details about the Atom’s Super Friends appearances. (Sadly, the Atom never got to battle Legion of Doom member Giganta on the show.)

On the Small Screen (top) Yep, there’s the Atom, played by Alfie Wise, in his guest shot on 1979’s “The Roast” installment of Legends of the SuperHeroes. (right) Around the same time, Dan Aykroyd played the Flash and Garrett Morris played Ant-Man in the Margot Kidder-hosted Saturday Night Live episode originally airing 3/17/79. Legends of the SuperHeroes © 1979 Hanna-Barbera Productions/Warner Home Video. Saturday Night Live © NBC. Atom, Giganta, and Flash TM & © DC Comics. Ant-Man TM & © Marvel Characters, Inc.

MIGHTY MITE, SUPER FRIEND Ten years after his Filmation adventures, the Atom leapt back to Saturday mornings when he guest-starred on the long-running Super Friends. Although the Atom’s trademark red-and-blue costume was changed to red-orange and blue at network insistence, designer Alex Toth’s model sheets (background) still retained the Atom’s classic look. Super Friends voice director Wally Burr gave voice to the Atom. As Burr told Marc Tyler Nobleman in an interview at noblemania. blogspot.com: “I did [Atom] because I wanted to get into SAG [the Screen Actors Guild] so I requested [to do it]. The actors on show were making more money than I was as director. I had done professional performance as an announcer.” Burr had a clever rationale for the deep voice he developed for the Atom: “I thought to communicate with big guys, Atom had to project.” While other JLAers like the Flash, Green Lantern, Hawkman, and Hawkgirl were all regulars in 1978’s Challenge of the Superfriends, the Atom only made a halfdozen appearances over the show’s entire 13-year run. Despite never becoming a fulltime Super Friend, the Atom made the most of his few appearances, even appearing in the opening credits of the 1980–1981 season. Although these sevenminute shorts rarely reran after their initial airings, all are available on various Super Friends DVD collections.

“Energy Mass” (airdate 10/8/77) In Japan, the Atom teams up with Batman and Robin to stop a runaway train jeopardized by an out-of-control energy source. “Cable Car Rescue” (airdate 12/3/77) The Atom joins Wonder Woman to rescue a stranded cable car in the Rocky Mountains. The Atom does most of the work in the episode, displaying new powers such as atomic speed and “atomic vibrations.” He even gets the episode’s final joke! “Elevator to Nowhere” (airdate 9/27/80) Wonder Woman and the Atom are summoned to the laboratory of scientist Dr. Wells, who tricks them into testing his newly invented time machine. After bouncing around from 1776 to the 1600s, the heroes finally capture Dr. Wells in the prehistoric era. At one point, the Atom tells a flummoxed General George Washington that he’s going to make a great president! “The Man in the Moon” (airdate 10/18/80) In one of the strangest Super Friends stories ever, Earth’s moon cracks open like an egg, hatching a gigantic monster that endangers the Earth. The Atom is called in at the last minute to help Apache Chief grow to the Moon Creature’s size.

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“The Sink Hole” (airdate 10/3/81) When a sinkhole appears in the coalmining community of Dusty Ridge, the Atom, Superman, and Wonder Woman discover the villain Diamond Jack’s plot to transform all of the town’s coal into diamonds. Although the Atom plays second fiddle to Superman and Wonder Woman’s heroics, he does defeat Diamond Jack’s gigantic mechanical snake. “The Iron Cyclops” (airdate 10/24/81) The Atom teams up with Superman, Batman, and Black Vulcan against an alien villain determined to steal the Earth’s gravity for his own planet. Our hero proves instrumental in restoring Superman and Black Vulcan’s powers and in uncovering the truth behind the villain. “The Roller Coaster” (airdate 9/10/83) In one of the “lost episodes” that did not air in the US, the Atom and the Wonder Twins rescue some street toughs riding a condemned rollercoaster (clearly a widespread problem of the early 1980s). Together, the Super Friends convince the Dragons that honesty, self-respect, and cheerfulness are better traits for club members than taking foolhardy dares.

ACTION COMICS AND TEAM-UPS 1977’s Five-Star Super-Hero Spectacular saw the Atom once again use Professor Hyatt’s Time Pool to solve a historical mystery, as the Tiny Titan journeys back in time to 1876 and saves the life of Alexander Graham Bell, just in time for the telephone’s debut. And in Showcase #100 (May 1978), the Atom teams up with every other hero who debuted in the pages of that venerable anthology book. As co-writer Paul Kupperberg recently recalled: “We did Crisis on Infinite Earths in 38 pages AND left everybody alive and well at the end!” [Editor’s note: For more on Showcase #100, see BACK ISSUE #69’s “Showcase Centenary” article.] In Action Comics #487 (Sept. 1978), “Miniature War of the Bat-Knights!,” Bob Rozakis became the first writer to explore the married life of Ray and Jean after their marriage in JLA #157. Newlyweds Ray and Jean Palmer return to the cavern where Ray first shrunk to tiny size, but she is soon captured by Atom’s old foes, the Bat-Knights, who wish to learn the Atom’s sizechanging secrets. Rozakis enjoyed writing the Palmers as a married couple: “I saw [Ray and Jean’s] relationship the same way I saw those of Ralph and Sue Dibny [Mr. and Mrs. Elongated Man] and Carter and Shiera Hall [Hawkman and Hawkgirl/Hawkwoman], that of a happily married couple. They would have problems from time to time, but they were in love with each other and worked together and supported one another. Unfortunately (for Ray and Jean, mostly), subsequent writers didn’t agree.”

The Batman/Atom team reunites in The Brave and the Bold #152 (July 1979) in another story by Bob Haney and Jim Aparo. While the Atom doesn’t dance on Batman’s medulla oblongata this time around, the heroes do beat up a bunch of henchmen in lederhosen, and really, isn’t that enough? The Atom has another crisis of confidence during his team-up with Superman in DC Comics Presents #15 (Nov. 1979) when he develops a sudden fear of shrinking, but the Man of Steel helps him through it with a bit of wellintentioned Silver Age-style trickery in a tale by Cary Bates and Joe Staton. The Atom returns to the pages of DCCP in issue #51 (Nov. 1982), where he tries to prevent Superman’s apparent death in the 1800s. This story is notable to longtime Atom readers for Professor Hyatt finally learning about the Atom’s secret trips in his Time Pool [Editor’s note: Writer Dan Mishkin discusses this story further in BACK ISSUE #66]. Since Jean Loring’s mental breakdown was resolved in the pages of Justice League of America, the Atom returned the favor by resolving an old JLA plot thread in Detective Comics #489 (Apr. 1980), as he rescues the offspring of the alien Dharlu from the JLA’s computer banks in a five-pager by Bob Rozakis and Alex Saviuk. The Atom received another regular berth in the DC Universe in Action Comics, appearing in a backup feature by Rozakis and Saviuk, starting with #511 (Sept. 1980). Although he still wasn’t appearing monthly, the Atom alternated appearances with fellow superheroes Aquaman and Air Wave. Rozakis says, “I don’t recall Let’s Get Small Issue

To Tell the Truth? Writer Gerry Conway nicely conveys Ray Palmer’s hesitancy to reveal his alter ego to his bride-tobe in this two-page opening sequence from JLA #155. TM & © DC Comics

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Don’t Pick on the Little Guy The conclusion of writer Bob Rozakis’ personal favorite of his Atom tales, from World’s Finest #283 (Sept. 1982). TM & © DC Comics.

Of course, in any comic edited by Julius Schwartz, character bits always took a back seat to the story itself. “Julie was a plot guy much more than a characterization guy,” Rozakis states. “He always insisted that we writers come up with an interesting narrative hook to grab the reader. Even if you were doing a multi-part story, there had to be plot points resolved in each chapter. Julie expected us to grab his attention with our story ideas; if we did, then we would also grab the readers. I like to think I shoe-horned some characterization into them, if only to reinforce the general demeanor of the characters. I got in some banter between Ray and Jean in the sequence of stories that took place in Curaçao.” Rozakis’ personal favorite of his Atom stories was a two-page feature in World’s Finest #283 (Sept. 1982), where a mugger makes the mistake of picking Ray Palmer as his victim. “It was a situation where [editor] Len Wein mentioned he needed a two-page story to fill out the issue and I said, ‘Okay, I’ll bring you one.’” The rotating backup strips were discontinued after Action Comics #540 (Feb. 1983). As Rozakis recalls, “I think the general plan was that all the titles should have book-length lead features. And there were plans to give Aquaman and Atom their own titles again. Obviously, as ‘King of the 8-Pagers,’ I didn’t like that. And I was sorry to see Air Wave tossed on a shelf and ignored.”

JUSTICE LEAGUER, SCIENTIST Readers got a rare look at the spiritual life of a superhero in “Miracle at 22,300 Miles,” a backup story in Justice League of America #188 (Mar. 1981). Ray Palmer is attending a friend’s Hanukkah celebration when he is called away by the JLA emergency signal. The JLA satellite is being attacked by a malfunctioning spy satellite, and the Atom risks his life to restore the headquarters’ life-support systems. Miraculously, the satellite’s oxygen lasts longer than it should, paralleling the Hanukkah story of the sacred lamp burning for eight days when there was only enough oil for one. how we ended up with the three of them. It may What led writer Gerry Conway to commemorate have simply been that all three had names that a Jewish holiday in one DC’s flagship books? “My began with ‘A’ and it was a backup in Action Comics.” specific inspiration was that I wanted to do a Rozakis was pleased to have Alex Saviuk as the Hanukkah story,” he tells BI. “I felt like, ‘Why is it penciler on the “Action-Plus” backups: “Alex and I that [we always do] Christmas stories? [If] we’re have been good friends since he started at DC. My bob rozakis going to do a holiday story, let’s do a Hanukkah wife Laurie and his wife Jodi are very close. We used story.’ My wife at the time was Jewish.” to socialize regularly when they lived on Long Although “Miracle at 22,300 Miles” appeared under editor Len Island. I’ve always thought that Alex didn’t get the attention he deserved for his work. If he’d been born a generation earlier, he Wein’s tenure on the book, Conway states, “I think I had actually would have been one of the mainstays at DC (or Marvel) because his pitched it to [previous JLA editor] Julie [Schwartz] earlier. And Julie felt that nobody would want to read a Hanukkah story, which is an interesting work is always clean and professional … and delivered on time!” Saviuk was also having fun, drawing cameos of the creative team generational thing. Christmas was always non-denominational [in and their spouses when the Palmers went on vacation in the Caribbean. comics]. It was always this feeling that while it was a Christian holiday, Rozakis points out, “You might notice in one of the Curaçao chapters, it was more essentially an American holiday. So Julie didn’t have a problem all four of us make a cameo appearance. My wife and I had been to doing a Christmas story, because it was non-denominational. But when Curaçao a year or two before. The characters Madeline and Ed that you do a Hanukkah story, you’re actually making a denominational Ray and Jean meet there [in Action Comics #531] were based on a story, and you’re drawing attention to religion per se, and [Julie] didn’t want to do that. Comics were supposed to be inoffensive as much as couple Laurie and I met and became friends with.” Rozakis chose an interesting structure for the Action Comics backups, possible. And to be as generic as possible. So they would go out of as the Atom, Aquaman, and Air Wave often teamed up, or made their way to sort of keep those references out of the material.” True to the times, Ray Palmer is kept generic as possible by stating cameos in each other’s stories. Rozakis recalls, “I wanted to do something more than just simple stand-alone backup stories. Julie [Schwartz] he is “not very religious” early in the story. As Conway says, “I was liked the idea of using a team-up to slide from one hero to the next. trying to make him our point-of-view character for the vast majority If you look at the set, it is one long story that weaves through the lives of Americans who are not Jewish. I think it would be nice if more of all three heroes. And I did try to develop relationships among characters had, if not a foreground in religion, at least some sense of them. Obviously, Atom and Aquaman had known each other for where they were coming from in their cultural traditions.” The second part of 1981’s annual JLA/JSA crossover includes a years and were much more friendly, but I brought in [Air Wave’s memorable fight between the Mighty Mite and his old foe the Floronic cousin] Green Lantern to formally introduce Air Wave to Aquaman.” 28 • BACK ISSUE • Let’s Get Small Issue

Man in Justice League of America #196 (Nov. 1981), as Jason Woodrue returns with the Secret Society of Super-Villains. This storyline was Plant Master’s last appearance before being significantly revamped by Alan Moore, Steven Bissette, and John Totleben in the pages of Swamp Thing. Justice League of America #200 (Mar. 1982) is notable for the Mighty Mite’s battle with Green Lantern, in a chapter illustrated by their mutual co-creator, Gil Kane. Gerry Conway recalls the JLA’s anniversary issue as “a lot of thrills. That was a great issue for me in

a lot of ways, because I got to work with a whole bunch of really awesome artists. A dream team. It’s a great issue. It’s one of a handful of books I’m really, really proud of.” JLA #210–212 (Jan.–Mar. 1983) finally prints a Gerry Conway/Rich Buckler story prepared for a never-published Justice League treasury edition from the late ’70s: “When a World Dies Screaming!” As Conway recalls, “We wanted a very large-format story, something that would allow us to do a lot of spectacle scenes.” Ray Palmer’s scientific

alex saviuk Photo by Luigi Novi.

The Amazing Alex Saviuk A fabulous foursome of Atom images: (top left) the splash to the backup in Action #487, channeling Gil Kane in reprising classic Atom scenes; (top right) a page from Action #532’s backup, with cameos by Alex and his friend, writer Bob Rozakis, and their wives, Jodi and Laurie; (bottom left) his dynamic cover to the Superman/Atom team-up in DC Comics Presents #51; and (bottom right) that issue’s splash page. TM & © DC Comics.

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THE ATOM BRONZE AGE APPEARANCE CHECKLIST Action Comics #425 (July 1973) Action Comics #427 (Sept. 1973) Action Comics #430 (Dec. 1973) Action Comics #433 (Mar. 1974) Action Comics #435 (May 1974) Action Comics #438–439 (Aug.–Sept. 1974) Action Comics #442 (Dec. 1974) Action Comics #443 (Jan. 1975) [cameo] Action Comics #447–448 (May–June 1975) Action Comics #453–455 (Nov. 1975–Jan. 1976) Action Comics #480 (Feb. 1978) [cameo] Action Comics #487 (Sept. 1978) Action Comics #489 (Nov. 1978) Action Comics #513–516 (Nov. 1980–Feb. 1981) Action Comics #521–524 (July–Oct. 1981) Action Comics #530–533 (Apr.–July 1982) Action Comics #535 (Sept. 1982) [cameo] Action Comics #539 (Jan. 1983) Action Comics #546 (Aug. 1983) [cameo] Adventure Comics #423 (Sept. 1972) [cameo] The Brave and the Bold #115 (Oct.–Nov. 1974) The Brave and the Bold #129–130 (Sept.–Oct. 1976) The Brave and the Bold #152 (July 1979) Crisis on Infinite Earths #5 (Aug. 1985) Crisis on Infinite Earths #8–10 (Nov. 1985–Jan. 1986) DC Comics Presents #15 (Nov. 1979) DC Comics Presents #51 (Nov. 1982) Detective Comics #432 (Mar. 1973) Detective Comics #463 (Sept. 1976) Detective Comics #464 (Oct. 1976) [cameo] Detective Comics #468 (Mar.–Apr. 1977) Detective Comics #489 (Apr. 1980) Five-Star Super-Hero Spectacular (1977) Green Lantern #105 (June 1978) [cameo] Invasion! #2–3 (1988) Justice League of America #78–84 (Feb.–Oct. 1970) JLA #86–92 (Dec. 1970–Sept. 1971) JLA #94–95 (Oct.–Dec. 1971) JLA #97–100 (Mar.–Aug. 1972) JLA #102 (Oct. 1972) JLA #104–106 (Feb. 1973– July–Aug. 1973) JLA #109–110 (Jan.–Feb. 1974– Mar.–Apr. 1974) JLA #112 (July–Aug. 1974)

JLA #114–115 (Nov.–Dec. 1973– Jan.–Feb. 1974) JLA #117–121 (Apr.–Aug. 1975) JLA #126 (Jan. 1976) JLA #128–134 (Mar.–Sept. 1976) JLA #139 (Feb. 1977) JLA #142–143 (May–June 1977) JLA #146 (Sept. 1977) JLA #150–151 (Jan.–Feb. 1978) JLA #154 (May 1978) JLA #155–157 (June–Aug. 1978) JLA #159–161 (Oct.–Dec. 1978) JLA #174 (Jan. 1980) JLA #177–179 (Apr.–June 1980) JLA #181 (Aug. 1980) JLA #186 (Jan. 1981) JLA #188 (Mar. 1981) JLA #195–197 (Oct.–Dec. 1981) JLA #200-202 (Mar.–May 1982) JLA #210-216 (Jan.–July 1983) JLA #225-227 (Apr.–June 1984) JLA Annual #1 (1983) Justice League International #24 (Feb. 1989) New Teen Titans #4 (Feb. 1981) Power of the Atom #1–18 (Aug. 1988–Nov. 1989) Secret Origins vol. 2 #2 (Apr.–May 1973) [reprints Showcase #34 origin] Secret Origins vol. 3 #29 (Aug. 1988) Secret Society of Super-Villains #10 (Oct. 1977) [as Ray Palmer] Showcase #100 (May 1978) Starman #6 (Jan. 1989) [cameo] Supergirl #20 (June 1984) [cameo] Superman #302 (Aug. 1976) Superman Family #220 (July 1982) [cameo] Super-Team Family #11–14 (June– July 1977–Dec. 1977–Jan. 1978) Sword of the Atom (SOTA) #1–4 (Sept.–Dec. 1983) SOTA Special #1 (1984) SOTA Special #2 (1985) SOTA Special #3 (1988) Wonder Woman #219 (Aug.–Sept. 1975) [cameo] Wonder Woman #220 (Oct.–Nov. 1975) Wonder Woman #221–223 (Dec. 1975–Jan. 1976–Apr. –May 1976) [cameos] Wonder Woman #291 (May 1982) [cameo] World’s Finest Comics #201 (Mar. 1971) [cameo] World’s Finest Comics #213 (Aug.–Sept. 1972) World’s Finest Comics #236 (Mar. 1976) World’s Finest Comics #247 (Oct.–Nov. 1977) [cameo] World’s Finest Comics #260 (Dec. 1979–Jan. 1980) World’s Finest Comics #283 (Sept. 1982)

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career is what sets the entire story in motion, as he discovers that a previously unknown “X-Element” is causing chemical reactions to fail all over the Earth. “Honestly, any opportunity that I could have to get Ray [being a scientist], I was always happy to do so,” Conway says. “I always liked the idea of having him do something scientific, having that either be the origin or the solution to a problem.” The four-part “Into the Microcosmos” from Justice League of America #213–216 (Apr.–July 1983) has the unique twist of Ray Palmer suffering his own nervous breakdown. Eager to receive scientific recognition independent of his Atom career, Ray is shattered when another scientist presents similar findings to his at a physics symposium. Recognizing her husband’s mental anguish, Jean Loring calls in the Justice League to help. As writer Gerry Conway explains, “It goes to that science thing again, the competitive nature of scientists. Scientists can be hyper-focused and kind of poor at the people end of things, so the idea [was] that he would find himself in a situation where he was losing status or questioning his own judgment, or questioning his own abilities, [and that] could possibly push him over the edge.” The JLA journeys into the sub-atomic world in search of their friend, leading to the unforgettable image of a gigantic Atom tied up by Microcosmos’ tiny citizens, Gulliver’s Travels style. The Atom’s world got a major shake-up in 1983’s Sword of the Atom miniseries by Jan Strnad and Gil Kane. The four-issue series brought an end to the Palmers’ marriage, as the Atom was stranded in the Amazon Jungle, finding a new home in a world of six-inch alien barbarians. The SOTA series was a sales success, and for the next five years, the Atom had swashbuckling sword-and-sorcery adventures instead of superheroic ones [Editor’s note: An in-depth look at the SOTA era of the Atom follows this article].

POWER OF THE ATOM The Sword of the Atom era came to an abrupt end in 1988, when the Atom received an ongoing series for the first time since his Silver Age book ended in 1969. In Power of the Atom #1 (Aug. 1988), Ray Palmer is the sole survivor when his Amazon home is destroyed in a mysterious clear-cutting operation, roger stern forcing the Atom back to civilization. Once again a size-changing superhero based in Ivy Town, the Atom had truly come full circle. Power of the Atom writer Roger Stern was grateful to return Ray Palmer to the superhero community: “The Sword stories were interesting—smartly written and nicely drawn—but there wasn’t much about them that said ‘Atom’ to me. They were like a mashup of Conan and John Carter of Mars—a neat concept, but not one that took any advantage of Ray’s background or his abilities as the Atom. Jan and Gil could have just as easily made up a new character and stranded him in a world of barbarians and giant frogs.” But the Power of the Atom series didn’t just restore the Atom’s old status quo—it introduced changes of its own. The Atom’s costume was revised, and his secret identity was now public (having been revealed in a

Big Man on Campus Atom is walking tall in this tale concluding the JLA’s Microcosmos story arc. Ed Hannigan cover pencils to Justice League of America #216 (July 1983), from the collection of Mike Dunne. See the inset for its published version, featuring Dick Giordano inks and Anthony Tollin cover colors. TM & © DC Comics.

tell-all book during the Sword of the Atom era). The Atom also gained bursts of super-strength, and the ability to retain his full six-foot height in costume. Roger Stern explains, “I’d long thought that the Atom disappeared too much in crowd scenes. Way back in the early days of Ray’s first series, I could never figure out why six inches had become his standard height. Sure, there was that explanation in his first Showcase issue that the costume was invisible and intangible when he was at his full height, but they never went into the particulars of how much he had to shrink for it to appear. As early as Atom #1, he was shown growing to a foot in height. Would his outfit still be visible at three feet? How about four feet? How about five feet, 11 inches? “And another thing: how had Ray Palmer, a man with normal strength, been able to pick up that little chunk of white dwarf star matter [in Showcase #34]? The noted physicist Dr. James Kakalios [author of The Physics of Superheroes] once calculated that the chunk Ray found should have weighed over 50,000 tons. Science geek that I was (and am), I always figured that there was some sort of dimensional shift in mass going on there—especially since Ray had always been able to alter his mass, as well as his size, as the Atom. So, I decided to take advantage of all that and tweak his suit enough to let him be in costume as a sixfooter. And I thought it only made sense to give him a bit of enhanced strength—and that ‘Atomic Punch’—that would come from playing around with shifting masses. See, kids, it’s good to stay awake and pay attention during your science classes!”

THE ATOM’S APPEAL Although the Bronze Age brought many changes for the World’s Smallest Superhero, the Atom always retained his core appeal of a little guy who could overcome big obstacles. For many of his creators, this quality was crystallized in the Atom’s original stories by Gardner Fox and Gil Kane. “I followed him from his first Showcase appearance,” says Bob Rozakis. “I especially enjoyed the early stories that placed the Atom in a situation of dealing with everyday devices that were a menace because of his size. Not surprising, I guess, because I always loved the old Batman stories that incorporated the giant props.” Gerry Conway recalls, “My fond memory of Ray Palmer, the character, was from the original origin story of the Atom [in Showcase #34] where he uses his scientific smarts to save everybody in that cave-in. And, when you think about it, he’s figuring he’s going

to die. It’s one of the most heroic superhero origins of all time. Because most of these guys, they get their powers by accident, or they’re acting out of revenge, or some other external force where they really don’t have anything to decide. Ray is basically committing suicide to rescue these kids. That’s pretty awesome. And he’s also using science! It’s cool!” As Roger Stern says, “Here’s a guy who can change his size and alter his mass in the blink of an eye. He can take down opponents 12 times his size, and shrink small enough to swim with molecules. He’s as smart as Stephen Hawking and as fit as an Olympic gymnast. ‘Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee!’—he’s the Muhammad Ali of physicists. Come on, how can you not like this guy?” JOHN TRUMBULL would like to thank Gerry Conway, Paul Kupperberg, Bob Rozakis, and Roger Stern for their time and memories. Special thanks to Robert Kelly, Marc Tyler Nobleman, Randall Wiggins, and Bill Zanowitz for providing reference material and quotes and to Loston Wallace for his proofreading assistance.

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In 1983, the World’s Smallest Superhero needed some big changes. Although he was still sporadically appearing in both Justice League of America and Action Comics, nothing huge had happened to the Atom in years. At the same time, DC Comics needed to publish a full-blown Atom comic in order to retain the trademark. While normally an appearance in DC Comics Presents or The Brave and the Bold TM would’ve done the trick, this time around a new approach was taken. The resulting four-issue Sword of the Atom miniseries not only took the Atom out of the mainstream DC Universe, but out of the superhero genre altogether! Although you might expect that such a radical shift to come from someone brand new to the Atom, it instead came from one of the Mighty Mite’s co-creators: Gil Kane (1926–2000). As Kane recalled in Amazing Heroes #28 (August 1, 1983): “What I decided was that we might resurrect him as a sword-and-sorcery character, and in effect we would have all his qualities except that he would be frozen at the six-inch size and would have to deal with all the dangers that a strip set in the Amazon could provide.” Sword of the Atom writer Jan Strnad remembers: “Gil pitched it to me in a hallway at a comic-book convention in Dallas. He said that DC needed to do something with the Atom in order to keep their trademark, and that he’d pitched them an idea casting the Atom as a barbarian hero, a miniseries called ‘Sword of the Atom.’ The Atom would be lost in the Florida Everglades, trapped at six inches, and the top of his cowl would be ripped off. He would find an alien civilization of people his same height and fall in love with an alien princess. And they would ride around on frogs and fight with swords. “[Gil] asked if I’d like to write it and I said, ‘Sure!’ I’d grown up reading The Atom and loved it, mainly due to Gil’s phenomenal artwork. The idea of being able to collaborate with one of my childhood idols was mind-blowing.” Kane was likewise an admirer of Jan Strnad’s writing, as he said to Amazing Heroes: “At the convention I met Jan for the first time and I liked him right away. I felt his quality would be right, a turnaway from the standard approaches to writing superhero material. There was always a great deal of character and mood in his work, and very often an emphasis on stillness: his writing didn’t always have characters in action, but there was always something happening to them. “Jan was a good guy [for the series] because his sensibility is not a comic-book sensibility. I have a comic-book sensibility, so it’s good that somebody is free of it. My feeling is that what Jan brought in is a more worldlier conception. He has a jan strnad point of view that I think is believable and compassionate; it’s humane and at the same time, it’s literate.” Strnad did make some adjustments to Kane’s initial concept: “I moved the location to the Amazon because it’s much bigger than the Everglades and I figured it would be easier for Ray to be lost there, given that various superheroes

Hopping into Action Gil Kane’s cover to the sleeper hit, Sword of the Atom #1 (Sept. 1983). TM & © DC Comics.

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might be looking for him.” Whatever the location, Jan Strnad liked the idea of putting the Atom in an all-new environment. As he said at the time in Amazing Heroes: “It sounded more interesting to me because it was going to un-super-hero the Atom.”

SWORD OF THE ATOM #1: STORMY PASSAGE The first issue of Sword of the Atom (Sept. 1983) certainly doesn’t begin like a typical superhero story: An impatient Ray Palmer, alone on stormy night, waits for his wife Jean to get home from yet another late night at the office. While investigating a car parked at the end of their driveway, Ray is shocked to discover Jean in a passionate embrace with her new law partner, Paul Hoben. In the argument that follows, Jean is unrepentant over the affair, pointing out how Ray’s dual careers as a scientist and superhero have made him neglect their marriage. Thinking that spending some time away from each other would be best, Ray decides to go on a six-week scientific expedition in South America. When Ray asks his wife what she thinks of this plan, Jean just pretends to be asleep in bed, a single tear streaming down her cheek. Journeying to Brazil, Ray hires a plane to track a white dwarf star fragment that fell in the vicinity, not realizing that his pilots are also dope smugglers. When Ray’s investigation comes too close to their secret coca fields, the two pilots knock out Ray and steal his wedding ring. Ray comes to his senses and transforms into the Atom. The ensuing fight sweeps the Atom out of the crashing plane, stranding him in the Amazon jungle with his size and weight controls short-circuited. The six-inch Atom is soon rescued by a cavalcade of yellowskinned beings mounted on frogs. The Atom befriends the prisoner Taren, the leader of a band of rebels, who is romantically entangled with the Princess Laethwen. The frog procession leads the Atom through the jungle to the capital city of Morlaidh, where he meets King Caellich, and discovers that Taren was exiled into the jungle for daring to propose to Laethwen. Defending his new ally, the Atom is captured by the palace guards and thrown into the dungeon with Taren. The issue closes with Jean Loring getting word of her husband’s plane crash in the Amazon. Two bodies are found charred beyond recognition, with one of them wearing a ring inscribed, “To Ray, all my love forever, Jean.” Ray Palmer is presumed to be dead.

CONCEPTION AND EXPANSION Although the basic story skeleton of SOTA was Gil Kane’s, writer Jan Strnad gave it additional depth and development. As Kane (who co-edited the series with Dick Giordano) said in 1983, “What I had was a sort of linear idea of where the material was going. Jan and I would talk it over and he would interpolate his own ideas.” Strnad didn’t have any difficulty working with an artist who was also his editor. “It wasn’t any problem at all. We just did our things. I plotted, he drew, I wrote dialogue and captions, and there it was!” For his part, Kane recalled a bit more give and take: “Our tendency is to have diametrically opposed views. The fortunate thing is that we like each other and respect each other well enough that the opposing views balance each other.” Strnad recalls, “I kept all of the story points in Gil’s pitch but needed to work out a narrative for the story beats. I had to populate the alien civilization, create the characters, and work out the dynamics of their relationships. Gil hadn’t said anything about

Unfaithful (top) Ray Palmer catches his wife Jean in the arms of another man. (bottom) The Atom flies the unfriendly skies. Both sequences from Sword of the Atom #1, by Strnad and Kane. TM & © DC Comics.

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the alien princess, whom I named ‘Laethwen,’ having a boyfriend, but I couldn’t imagine that a beautiful alien princess wouldn’t already have someone in her life. I wanted that relationship to be interesting, so I made them star-crossed lovers from different stations in life. Her boyfriend, Taren, was essentially a slave to Laethwen’s father, Caellich.” Of course, introducing a new love interest for the Atom in Princess Laethwen meant that something had to change between Ray Palmer and his wife, Jean. Strnad didn’t find this very difficult to accomplish. In fact, he found the basis of the Palmers’ split in the very thing that first brought them together: Ray’s second career as a superhero. “It was given if, according to Gil’s pitch, Ray was going to fall in love with an alien princess,” Strnad says. “I had to set Ray up for that, which meant breaking up Ray and Jean. It wasn’t much of a challenge, actually. Even as a kid, I knew that Ray and Jean had a wonky relationship, and it was all Ray’s fault. “First, he was wrapped up in his work and continually missing dates, even dates in which he planned to propose to her. I just continued this trait. More importantly, though, there was a black hole of secrecy between them. He was a superhero, for chris’sakes, but he didn’t tell her for the longest time. Instead, he worked behind the scenes to solve her cases for her and let her establish a career as a brilliant attorney, while hiding from her the fact that he had superpowers and spent a good deal of his time fighting villains, traveling through time, and having adventures that he never told her about.” Strnad continues, “I’m married. I’m very married. I can’t buy a pair of jeans without my wife knowing about it. I can’t imagine the level of deception it would take to lead a double life as a superhero without my girlfriend having a clue. “So eventually [in Justice League of America #157, Aug. 1978], Ray tells Jean the whole story (in the most shocking way possible, shrinking before her eyes, pretty much ensuring that she’ll faint), they get married, and everything’s supposed to be roses after that? I don’t think so. This is a couple with problems and those problems aren’t going away because they exchange wedding rings.” How did fans react to Jean’s affair? “Some readers got pretty steamed that Jean would be tempted by another man, someone who actually paid attention to her,” Strnad informs BACK ISSUE. “I saw it as virtually inevitable. Remember that, at this time, bringing a dose of reality into a superhero comic wasn’t standard procedure. Not that I was the only person doing it or the first, not by a longshot, but it was still shocking enough to raise some hackles from people who thought, ‘Jean would never cheat on Ray!’” The Palmers separating wasn’t the only shock that the Sword of the Atom miniseries had in store. The Atom also got a modified outfit for the jungle environment, losing the top of his mask, darkening the uniform’s blue, and adding a loincloth, boots, neckpiece, and wrist-

bands. While some longtime Atom fans protested the changes to the Atom’s classic look, Kane was almost blasé about it: “They find that the desecration of the Atom’s costume is like writing something terrible on a church wall. Listen, I figure that since I created the original costume, I giveth and I taketh away: I want to take off the top of this helmet, I take off the top of his helmet.”

SWORD OF THE ATOM #2: A CHOICE OF DOOMS In the second issue (Oct. 1983), Taren and the Atom are conscripted to become gladiators in Morlaidh’s arenas, with their first match against each other. But Taren has been ensured to lose, having been blinded before the match. As the crowd rebels against this savagery, the Atom, Taren, and Princess Laethwen take advantage of the confusion and escape into the jungle. On the run with his new allies, the Atom learns the history of the unusual culture of which he finds himself a part: Morlaidh was founded several decades before as an interstellar penal colony. Without technological support from its home planet, the Katarthan society has separated into warring tribes and fallen into barbarism. King Caellich is attempting to unite the warring factions, but his advisor Deraegis insists that this can only be done through conquest. Unknown to Caellich, Deraegis is plotting against him in a bid to seize power. As Deraegis works to turn the people against their king, the Atom and his friends join Taren’s band of rebels, including the archer, Voss. Taren, knowing that his blindness in the jungle is the equivalent of a death sentence, asks the Atom to assume leadership of the rebels. The Atom agrees, but both he and Laethwen are growing worried over the increasingly morose Taren. Meanwhile, back in Ivy Town, Jean Loring attempts to adjust in the weeks following Ray Palmer’s presumed death. Growing lonely in a large, silent house, she invites Paul Hoben over to console her.

SWORD OF THE ATOM #3: MOURNING’S END Issue #3 (Nov. 1983) shows the Atom assuming command of Taren’s men, despite the misgivings of Voss the archer. King Caellich’s advisor Deraegis tries to persuade the king to energize the Katarthan’s long-shut-down star drive, arguing that it would increase their power and make them the masters of the jungle. Back in Ivy Town, Jean harbors doubts over Ray’s death and is compelled to go to South America to search for him.

Rats! Big trouble for little fellas—SOTA #1’s cliffhanger. Original Gil Kane art courtesy of Heritage Comics Auctions (www.ha.com). TM & © DC Comics.

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The Atom is hesitant to start the final assault on Morlaidh, knowing that once he does, it will mean death for the blinded Taren. When a colony of ants consumes its way through the rebels’ village, Taren nobly sacrifices himself to the horde rather than continue to be a burden to his friends. After Taren is buried and mourned, Princess Laethwen declares her love for the Atom, explaining that time is precious in the jungle and there is none of it to waste. If it were up to Jan Strnad, Laethwen might have taken a bit more time before getting together with the Atom. “I would have drawn out their falling in love a bit longer, but I worked ‘Marvel style’ with Gil and the whole thing happened in a couple of pages. So I did my best to give Laethwen justification for burying Taren on one page and taking up with Ray on the next.” The issue closes with Ray Palmer putting his last doubts to rest and proving his mettle by slaying a deadly Caiman Lizard. Knowing he has finally mastered his jungle environment, the Atom declares it time to strike Morlaidh at last.

SWORD OF THE ATOM #4: LOOK HOMEWARD, ATOM As issue #4 (Dec. 1983) opens, the Atom’s troops lead their assault on Morlaidh to topple King Caellich. Atom has fully accepted his new life in the jungle with his new love, declaring, “Ray Palmer is dead! I’m Atom! I was born to be … Atom!” During the raid upon the city, the treacherous Deraegis finally kills King Caellich to seize power for himself. The insane Deraegis activates the old star drive at the city power plant, which turns out to be the very white dwarf star fragment that Ray Palmer was searching the Amazon for in the first place. Voss the archer shoots Deraegis through the head, but the radioactive star drive is overloading and threatening to destroy the city. The Atom charges into the chamber to shut it down, but the leaking white dwarf star radiation causes him to start growing to his natural

size once again. Mad with fever, the enlarged Atom desperately begins wrecking the city around him, hoping to drive the citizens out by force. The star drive explodes and the six-foot Ray Palmer wanders the jungle, delirious, finally collapsing along the banks of the Amazon. After two days of recovery in a Brazilian hospital, Ray Palmer is released back into the civilization that he’d totally rejected. Although determined to return to his new home in the jungle, he must first confront the remnants of his old life, including the wife he thought that he’d left behind forever. While many writers might have contentedly forgotten about Jean Loring after setting up Ray’s new love interest in Laethwen, Jan Strnad decided on a messier but truer-to-life route that dealt with the emotional fallout. The last shot of the miniseries is Ray steeling himself to talk to the woman waiting for him in the hospital lobby: “a beautiful, dark-haired stranger named Jean.” Strnad says, “The important thing to me was that Jean realized that Ray was a big part of her, so that even when he’s gone, presumed dead, she isn’t going to simply sit back and forget him. Her motives are mixed, but she does go to Brazil to try to find him, and she’s there when he emerges from the jungle. There’s no hint of reconciliation, only closure, and that annoyed some readers, also.” This bittersweet conclusion had an inspiration from the classic 1937 Frank Capra movie Lost Horizon. As Gil Kane stated in Amazing Heroes, “I wanted to get that sense of a guy getting yanked out of a troubled personal life and then getting exposed to an exotic sort of adventure and then being restored but having a sense of incredible loss after that. And that’s exactly how we ended the story.”

SWORD OF THE ATOM SPECIAL #1: THE ATOM’S FAREWELL Sales and reader response to the miniseries were positive, so DC soon commissioned a follow-up that put the Atom back into the Amazon jungle “permanently.” For 1984’s Sword of the Atom Special #1, Strnad chose a unique device to tell the story of Ray Palmer’s return to Morlaidh: selected chapters of the book The Atom’s Farewell: The Last Days of the Littlest Big Man. Together, Ray and Jean tell the story of their relationship in their own words, as both the Palmer/Loring marriage and the Atom’s superhero career reach their natural ends. And since any book needs an author, Strnad and Kane created a brand-new supporting character to tell the story of Ray and Jean: Norman Brawler. Norman came from an appropriately literary source: New Journalism writer Norman Mailer. As Strnad points out, “Gil even drew him with Mailer’s big ears. Mailer was famous for reacting with his fists, so I changed the name to ‘Brawler’ as a joke.” The half-novel, half-comic-book format was quite unusual for the time. As Strnad recalls, “Punctuating the first SOTA Special story with excerpts from Norman Brawler’s book, The Atom’s Farewell, was an experiment, as was using type instead of hand lettering for the book excerpts. I can’t really say why I wanted to do it; I just did, pushing my own boundaries, exploring the medium. “Once I began the story using this technique, it proved to be great fun as I moved the camera around town, from person to person who was reading the book and having his or her own reaction to it. I was able to delve more deeply into the characters’ thoughts and feelings in a way that only prose can do, to expand upon what had already taken place in the miniseries and then build on it. “Having Ray Palmer turn his back on Ivy Town, his superhero career, and his wife was a big, big deal,” Strnad adds. “I needed the depth that the extra prose would bring to the story. The book-withinthe-story idea came along, it fit, and I think it worked.” The Sword of the Atom Special also went a long way towards humanizing someone who was only a plot device in the original miniseries: Jean’s lover and law partner Paul Hoben. As Jan Strnad explains, “[Paul] had to be a nice enough guy that Jean would fall for him. Beyond that, though, I’m not really drawn to black-and-white, good-or-evil characters.

Atom the Barbarian Kane’s cover to Amazing Heroes #28 (Aug. 1, 1983). Sword of the Atom TM & © DC Comics. Amazing Heroes © Fantagraphics.

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With a good guy, I look for his flaws. With a bad guy, I try to find what makes him the way he is. “I wanted to like Paul Hoben, not despise him. In fact, I wanted to play against that easy, ‘other man’ characterization of him, so in the first Special I wrote a fun sequence where Paul is hounded by an outraged woman who’s read Norman Brawler’s book, blames him for breaking up Ray and Jean’s marriage, beats him with her purse, and keeps on beating him until he seeks refuge in the men’s room.” The fleshing out of Paul’s character makes it all the more understandable when Ray and Jean decide to end their marriage. Realizing that they are both in love with other people and want different things out of life, the Palmers agree to an amicable split. At the same time, Ray realizes that his body has finally absorbed too much white dwarf star radiation to survive many more size changes, effectively ending his superhero career. Having tied up the loose ends of his life in Ivy Town, Ray travels back to the Amazon with Norman Brawler, striving to rediscover Morlaidh through the traces of white dwarf star radiation in the area. Ultimately, they find a cocaine refinery and shipping plant built on the remains of the miniature city. When Ray and Norman are captured by drug smugglers, Ray shrinks down to the Atom one last time, losing consciousness in the attempt. With the help of Norman, the Atom defeats the drug dealers and destroys the refinery. The Special closes with a now-permanently shrunken Atom at last reunited with his beloved Princess Laethwen in the jungle.

SWORD OF THE ATOM SPECIAL #2: NEW BEGINNINGS The Sword of the Atom Special proved just as popular as the miniseries. SOTA editor Alan Gold noted in a text piece that he had received “no fewer than 500 pieces of correspondence” and had “a file folder filled to overflowing, at least five inches thick” of letters asking for more.

With such positive reader reaction, one wonders why 1985 only brought a second Special instead of a fullfledged monthly Sword of the Atom series. Strnad takes full responsibility for a regular series not happening: “It was an absolute possibility, but I blew it. [DC executive editor] Dick Giordano offered and I turned it down. I didn’t want to write a monthly book. I thought that I’d done all that I’d intended and told a story with a beginning, a middle, and an end, and I had other stories I wanted to tell. I didn’t want to fall into what I saw, at the time, as the trap of monthly continuity where, to paraphrase Stan Lee, you don’t have change, but only the illusion of change.” Sword of the Atom Special #2 finds Ray Palmer keeping busy in his new life. Along with rebuilding the kingdom, the Atom is facing the new menace of the Skul-Riders, a band of bird-riding raiders who are kidnapping the women of New Morlaidh. Back in Ivy Town, Jean Loring and Paul Hoben have married and are trying to start their own new life together. While dismantling Ray Palmer’s old lab at Ivy University, Jean is accidentally shrunk down to six inches by one of Ray’s old size-changing devices. Not wanting to risk enlarging Jean without knowledge of the equipment, Paul Hoben and Norman Brawler Let’s Get Small Issue

I Am Curious Yellow The Atom and his butter-hued lady, Laethwen, on the cover to Sword of the Atom #3 and on an original art page from the Heritage archives. TM & © DC Comics.

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remains one of the most intriguing “What if?” moments in the Atom’s history. At a time when many heroic mantles were passing to a new generation of characters like Wally West/Flash, Paul Hoben could have been an offbeat addition to the DC Universe. DC probably wouldn’t have felt the need to put Ray Palmer’s Atom through as many changes as they did in the ’80s and ’90s if they’d had a brandnew version to play around with instead.

SWORD OF THE ATOM SPECIAL #3

Reunited An original art page (from Heritage) from the Strnad/ Kane reunion, DC’s ill-fated Talos of the Wilderness Sea #1 (1987), and its cover. TM & © DC Comics.

journey to the Amazon to get the aid of Ray. Soon, both Jean and Laethwen have been kidnapped by the Skul-Riders and are sharing the same cell. Paul Hoben uses the Atom’s old size-changing belt to infiltrate the villain Torbul’s headquarters, while the Atom and Voss attempt to sneak in disguised as Skul-Riders. Together, the heroes defeat Torbul and free his mind-controlled subjects from captivity. The second Special ends on a very intriguing note with Paul Hoben keeping possession of Ray Palmer’s old sizechanging belt. Having grown to enjoy using it over the course of his Amazon adventure, he even wears it on his flight back home. When Jean likens it to a memento and says, “You wouldn’t dream of using the stupid thing again,” Paul cryptically replies, “Oh, I wouldn’t exactly say that…” as Jean goes wide-eyed in surprise and disbelief. Was this exchange foreshadowing a new Atom for the DC Universe? Jan Strnad confirms that it was: “Giving Paul the belt was indeed a setup for a possible new Atom. I just threw it out there since, after all, I’d taken the old Atom away, so it only seemed fair to give DC an opportunity to replace him.” Indeed, this

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Outside of brief cameo appearances in Crisis on Infinite Earths and Justice League of America #250 (May 1986), the swordwielding Ray Palmer was not seen again until 1988, in the third and final Sword of the Atom Special. The story is an oddly gruesome one with Atom and Laethwen on the run from a zombie-like plague in the city of the Skul-Riders. Strnad is extremely frank in rating his efforts across the Sword of the Atom Specials. “Here’s my take on the Specials. The first one: Great. Added depth to the miniseries, brought Ray Palmer ‘home’ to the Amazon, it was a really nice cap to the miniseries. The second one: Pretty good, but not really necessary. Ray severs all ties with his former role as the Atom by passing the belt on to Paul Hoben. It’s actually as much Jean’s story as Ray’s. The third one: Jumps the shark. “The thing was, my motivation was all wrong with #3. I’d turned down a continuing Atom series because I didn’t want to stretch the storyline beyond where it was intended to go. But that’s exactly what I did. In a sense, Special #3 precisely demonstrates why I shouldn’t ever do a continuing series! “My motivation was money. I needed it, and pretty quick. I was also in a ‘horror’ mode at the time, and it seemed like a good idea (it wasn’t) to write a horror story within the SOTA framework. So I wrote the script and presented it to DC. “Now, here there was some miscommunication. I told Dick Giordano that I didn’t want to start discussion of a third Special with a springboard and go through ‘development’ and eventually wind up with a script. I didn’t have that much time. I offered the first script as a starting point and was willing to edit and develop from there. [Dick] took that as ‘this is a take-it-or-leave-it’ script. He took it. I knew it needed work, but if DC was taking it warts-and-all, I was ready to go with that. As I said, I needed money. “In hindsight, he should have left it. I should have left it. It didn’t fit, adds nothing to mythos or to the character of the Atom. It’s an escape story, nothing more, like a zombie tale where the main characters just need to get out of town and onto a boat. It’s not a heroic tale, and that’s what it should have been for the Atom because he is, after all, a hero, not just some schlub running from zombies.” When asked why SOTA artist Gil Kane wasn’t aboard for the third Special, Jan Strnad is once again brutally honest: “We’d had a turkey with [the 1987 DC Special] Talos of the Wilderness Sea, an epic story intended to be a 12-issue series that got reduced to a single Special. Gil kept wandering off to do covers and animation concept art and other more lucrative work, and I got ticked off because I was trying to make a living here, and the project couldn’t work up any steam. Dick Giordano finally called and said, ‘Do you want out?’

Tiny Titan on TV Scene from the “Sword of the Atom!” episode of Batman: The Brave and the Bold. TM & © DC Comics.

“When people ask that, in any context, it usually means, ‘Please resign before we fire your ass.’ I don’t know if that’s what Dick meant, but the handwriting was on the wall for this project, so I cut the story short and we threw it out there where it justifiably died. “By the time SOTA Special #3 came along, the moment had passed. There are times when concepts and creators and publisher all come together and it works. Then there are times when they don’t. For some reason, Gil wasn’t on board. If DC wanted to throw another SOTA project against the wall, it had to do so without him.” DC selected artist Pat Broderick as a replacement for Kane. “Pat stepped up like a trooper going into a battle that was fated to be lost,” Jan Strnad recalls. “Really, the whole thing should have died without Gil. He was so strongly associated with the Atom’s previous incarnation and with SOTA, that we all should have just backed off. Nobody else … nobody … should have been assigned this project.” Along with an unexpected detour into horror and a new artist, the third SOTA Special also featured the odd switch of the Katarthans suddenly being given Caucasian flesh tones instead of their traditional yellow. Only Princess Laethwen retains her traditional appearance. On the coloring error, Strand says, “I think it was just a cock-up, one more reason to take the third Special out of the continuity!” When asked if the third Special was intended as a last hurrah for the SOTA era before the Atom’s return to superheroics in 1988’s Power of the Atom series, Strnad replies, “It wasn’t intended as anything, really, but a chance to make some fast cash—the worst motivation in the world. It taught me a hard lesson, but one that I’ve tried to carry into my writing ever since.”

ANIMATED SWORD OF THE ATOM In 2011, Ray Palmer made his first appearance on Batman: The Brave and the Bold in a third-season episode entitled “Sword of the Atom!” When Batman disappears in the Amazon in search of Ray Palmer, Aquaman and a reluctant Ryan Choi go after them. The story is much more focused on new Atom Ryan Choi than Ray Palmer, with Morlaidh and the Amazon just providing an exotic backdrop for that week’s adventure. Actor Peter Scolari provides a heroic voice for Ray Palmer, with Beverly Hills 90210 star Gabriel Carteris voicing Princess Laethwen. And what did Jan Strnad think of seeing SOTA adapted to another medium? “I saw a bit of it, but I hadn’t been following the animated series so it was out of context. I have to say that my reaction was pretty much, ‘Where’s Gil?’” If things had worked out slightly differently, though, we might have seen a regular Sword of the Atom TV series from Strnad himself: “Before the Brave and the Bold segment I pitched a Sword of the Atom series to Warner Bros. in connection with the Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim, but they didn’t bite. I guess it wasn’t edgy enough or something.”

A more faithful SOTA adaptation appeared in 2012, when four one-minute, 17-second Sword of the Atom shorts broadcast on the CW’s Saturday morning DC Nation segment. Actor Jason Marsden reprised his Young Justice role as Ray Palmer. Although totaling only a little over five minutes of screen time, the shorts present a simplified version of the SOTA storyline through the second issue of the miniseries, ending at a still-unresolved cliffhanger on episode four.

RECALLING SOTA Today, Jan Strnad says, “My passion is writing novels. I’m in love with prose, with telling stories directly to a reader, and that’s the direction I want to take in what is probably the final phase of my career. “I have two novels out now (Risen, a horror novel, and The Summer We Lost Alice, a paranormal mystery) and a book of short stories (The Murmuring Field and Other Stories). Financially, I have good months with them and bad months, but I’m determined to write more books and am working on a third novel now. I’ve gotten over chasing money with my writing. If a book catches on, great! If not, I’m moving on to the next concept that I want to explore by writing about it. More comics work doesn’t really fit into the plan, though I’ve learned to ‘never say never!’” And how does Strnad look back at the Sword of the Atom era today? “I think of it as performance art. It happened when it did for legal reasons, with DC needing to do something with the Atom and not really caring that much what it was. Gil’s idea might have seemed like a stretch to them, or it might have been seen as a stroke of genius, but DC was in the mood to take a chance. “Then, for some reason, SOTA turned out to be a hit, and after that point, everything changed. Now it was ‘how do we continue to exploit this concept?’ “SOTA lived in its moment … and one moment too long. There are film series that fumble and recover, and SOTA fumbled with the third Special. To recover, it needs brilliant new re-imagining, a new writer, a top new artist now that Gil has passed on. Maybe it could be revived, or maybe it was a product of its era and wouldn’t appeal to a modern audience. I don’t know.” But overall, the work that Strnad did with Gil Kane remains a fond memory. “I’m just really grateful that I had the chance to write one of my favorite characters with one of my favorite artists. It was truly a once-in-a- lifetime opportunity.” Special thanks to Jan Strnad for taking the time to share his memories and to Loston Wallace for his assistance. JOHN TRUMBULL is a writer, cartoonist, and comedian, and he still thinks it’d be pretty cool to ride on a mounted frog.

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It began as an American import of a Japanese toy line and blossomed into a comics saga that spanned two universes. The Micronauts went from plastic to the comic pages as a cult favorite among fans. This article will explore what the creative minds at Marvel Comics did with the mighty mini-heroes.

MICRO BEGINNINGS

James Heath Lantz

To look at the Micronauts in comics, one must first know the story behind the toys that paved the way for the action-packed panels of the tiny space adventurers. In 1972, Takara (known as TOMY in English and K.K. Takara-Tomy in Japanese since 2006) released a futuristic variant of their Combat Joe line (their version of G.I. Joe they had licensed from Hasbro) called Henshin Cyborg, which means Transforming Cyborg. To cut expenses of making the eight- and 12-inch figures in this series, a smaller version called Microman was released in 1974. What made Microman unique was that the characters were marketed as being the actual size of the miniature bionic aliens from a fictional place called Micro Earth. The first group of toys were part of a kit that needed to be assembled. They proved to be so popular that Microman became a spin-off of Henshin Cyborg. The Mego Corporation, a company founded in the early 1950s by David Abrams, had been known primarily for making dimestore toys until 1971. That was the year Abrams’ son Martin had purchased the rights to do action figures of characters from popular media such as Star Trek and the Marvel and DC Comics properties. In 1976, Mego had imported the Takara Microman series to the United States under the name Micronauts to aid Takara in paying for the production of Microman in Japan, which was costly for them in spite of their popularity. The Micronauts were extremely lucrative for Mego, with a total of five series of action figures, vehicles, and play sets. Yet the company was forced to file bankruptcy in 1982 and ceased to exist a year later. This is perhaps due to competitor Kenner’s success with its Star Wars action figures, a license Mego had turned down. While Mego’s refusal to do toys of Luke Skywalker and friends had little effect on sales at first, their Moonraker, The Black Hole,

From Out of Inner Space Detail from the cover of Micronauts #1 (Jan. 1979), by Dave Cockrum and Al Milgrom. (inset) The first and other early issues were bundled in three-packs and distributed to various outlets in polybags like this one. TM & © Takara LTD/A.G.E., Inc. and Marvel Characters, Inc.

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Having seen the goings-on behind the scenes at Marvel, Bill and Star Trek: The Motion Picture dolls proved to be less successful Mantlo had lost interest in drawing comics. Artists and writers than George Lucas’ sci-fi icons’ plastic counterparts. were arguing and discussing the books, and some scribes We now move through time to the year 1977. The rings could not make deadlines. This was something that of Uranus are discovered. NASA’s first space shuttle, Mantlo could not understand. To him, the work Enterprise, named after the fictional vessel from Star Trek, didn’t seem that difficult, especially when he is launched with the cast of the science-fiction television considered what Marvel was putting on newsstands series present at lift-off. Elvis Presley performs his in that period. last concert less than two months before his death. Editor Tony Isabella gave Mantlo his first The weekly comic 2000AD releases its first issue in writing job as scripter for a horror tale titled “The the United Kingdom. Fleetwood Mac’s album Rumours Fire Within.” It was intended for the black-andcomes out in record stores. Annie Hall, Saturday white magazine under Marvel’s Curtis imprint Night Fever, and Star Wars dominate the cinema box (named for Curtis Circulation Company, LLC, a offices. The self-titled pilot episode of the live-action distributor and affiliated company of Marvel at television series based on Marvel’s The Incredible the time) Tales of the Zombie, but it was never Hulk, starring Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno, makes its bill mantlo published due to the book’s cancellation. Yet broadcast debut. one day, Isabella was in a panic. He ran into MANTLO BEGINNINGS production manager John Verpoorten’s office Christmas of that year was like any other in Long Island, New York. needing someone to script overnight a “Sons of the Tiger” story There were lights and decorations all around. A snowman or two stood he had plotted for Deadly Hands of Kung Fu. Isabella had been in front lawns to greet passersby. caught up in deadlines and Family and friends gathered could not do it himself. around brightly lit, colorful trees Verpoorten could not give him to sing the songs of the holiday. any writer at the time without The home of William and Nancy interfering with other authors’ Mantlo was no exception to these schedules. This would have festive traditions. What made this forced Isabella to pen it himself Yuletide time different from any had Bill Mantlo not said, “Tony, other was that their son Bill, a I’ll do it.” writer for Marvel Comics, had That phrase and some minor been struck with inspiration. editorial changes led to Mantlo’s Born on November 9, 1951 first published work. In addition (coincidentally, the same day as to the start of a noteworthy run television’s Incredible Hulk Lou on Deadly Hands Of Kung Fu Ferrigno), William Timothy “Bill” with George Pérez, the 13-page Mantlo had been a voracious “Tigers in the Mind Cage!” was reader and comics fan at a young the beginning of Mantlo’s career age. This led to an interest in art, as a comics writer for Marvel. with Bill attending Manhattan’s His speed and reliability gave him High School of Art and Design the reputation of “fill-in king” for with a focus on painting and the House of Ideas. He would photography at Cooper Union work on issues of such titles as School of Art. After graduation, X-Men, Thor, Fantastic Four, and Bill began doing various odd jobs, Avengers before doing substantial including portrait photographer. cycles of tales on books like In 1974, college friend Annette Spectacular Spider-Man, Incredible Kawecki called Bill. Kawecki Hulk, and another cult favorite worked as a letterer—somebased on a popular toy, ROM: thing Bill’s wife Karen Mantlo Spaceknight. Mantlo would also (née Pocock) would later do co-create the White Tiger, comics’ from time to time—for Marvel first Puerto Rican superhero, with Comics. They were looking George Pérez; and Swords of for someone to do paste-ups the Swashbucklers with Jackson and mechanicals for them. Guice, with whom Mantlo later According to the book Mantlo: worked on issues of Micronauts. A Life in Comics by David Returning to Christmas 1977, Yurkovich and Michael Mantlo, Bill’s son Adam had opened Bill had described it as “the his Christmas presents with the most mindless production work typical enthusiasm a child has there is.” when tearing open wrapping paper like the Incredible Hulk on a rampage. Four of the boy’s gifts caught Bill’s eye. The Micronauts figures Space Glider, Time Traveler, Acroyear, and Golden Years Galactic Warrior began giving him ideas and concepts for a new And you thought your backyard was a mess! Courtesy of series. One week later, Mantlo walked into new editor-in-chief Jim Shooter’s office to convince him to get the rights from Mego to do Heritage (www.ha.com), signed Golden/Rubenstein a book. Shooter’s first act as head honcho at Marvel was to ask for original art page to Micronauts #2 (Feb. 1979). new ideas from creators. Mantlo then gave Shooter his Micronauts proposal and began working. Micronauts TM & © Takara LTD/A.G.E., Inc. 42 • BACK ISSUE • Let’s Get Small Issue

Versus Karza and a Car Michael Golden’s Micronauts covers were always a delight. (left) The merciless Baron Karza, on the cover of Micronauts #4 (Apr. 1979), and (right) a run-in with Johnny Law in issue #6. Inks by Joe Rubinstein. TM & © Takara LTD/A.G.E., Inc. and Marvel Characters, Inc.

page at the time. He said they had this thing sitting around called THE SAGA BEGINS Micronauts was different from such licensed comics as Tarzan and Star Micronauts. I wasn’t really interested in doing it because I was already Wars, which had their own established worlds and characters. Mantlo doing two books a month over at DC, and they were superhero books, had his work cut out for him, for as he pointed out in his article and I really wasn’t interested in doing superheroes. So Shooter threw “Creating a New Series for Marvel Comics: The Micronauts” in June out this idea about what the Micronauts were, without actually telling 1978’s The Comics Journal #40: “Mego had given each and every me at the time they were a toy tie-in. But it wouldn’t have made any difference because it was presented to me as a science-fiction figure and bit of hardware a name, but little or no conceptual adventure. And I was cool with that; it sounded more like background. The names did suggest concepts but were, something I’d be interested in. So when DC imploded in some cases, unwieldy. I decided then and there that [the infamous DC Implosion market collapse of 1978], the names, nine times out of ten, would serve merely as I went ahead over to Marvel and did Micronauts.” titles. But who, or what, then, were the Micronauts?” To examine Marvel’s lengthy run on the Micronauts Mantlo attempted to answer that question by comic books, it’s perhaps best to divide the overall giving the Micronauts characters some history in saga into sections. The battles with Baron Karza are their comic-book form. It wasn’t an easy task. later called the “Karza Wars” by the crew of the Someone was needed to bring ideas to life with Endeavor toward the end of Mantlo’s time on the series. their artwork. The conceptual designs had been The first of those is the story arc drawn by Michael done for the initial series proposal by Bob Hall. Yet Golden and inked by Joe Rubinstein (issues #1–7) and Hall’s juggling of multiple jobs at Marvel and Al Milgrom, (#8–12), who was editor for Micronauts working as both co-author and co-producer on the until issue #20. He later returned to oversee #38–51. Off-Broadway play The Passion of Dracula made him michael golden Steve Ditko, co-creator of Spider-Man and Dr. Strange, unavailable for drawing a regular series. In fact, Hall, also provided art for the series’ first Annual, which who had laid the groundwork for the series, was replaced as editor of Micronauts by Al Milgrom, according to Milgrom was a trilogy of short stories that took place before the premiere issue. Bill Mantlo and Michael Golden are credited as storytellers in the himself in his introduction in Micronauts Special Edition #1. Jack Kirby was suggested for the comic’s visuals as it wasn’t certain if he’d renew first Micronauts saga. Yet the descriptions of the creation process for his contract with Marvel, which was near its end. He didn’t. George the book vary. Mantlo recounted in BEM and Mantlo: A Life in Comics, Pérez wanted to do the book, but his workload prevented him from “Mike evidentially liked the direction I laid out, because he accepted, doing so. It was Jim Shooter who had suggested to Bill Mantlo that and he, I, and editor Bob Hall began plotting the first twelve issues Michael Golden was the man for the job. Golden was making a name (yes, we plotted the entire epic, from Karza’s triumph to his downfall) at the start, so the Karza epic would be finite.” for himself on Batman Family and Mister Miracle at DC at that time. Golden, however, recalled events differently in his 2006 interview with Golden’s reaction to Micronauts is different depending on the source of information. According to Bill Mantlo in his interview in July Inner Space Online. “I was co-plotter in a sense that I took whatever 1979’s issue #24 of the British fanzine BEM, the artist’s first impression was, Bill Mantlo gave me and made it work!,” he said. “The whole thing “What? A comic book about little toys?” Yet Golden himself stated in an was made up on the fly. Back then, everything was still done the Stan interview with the website Inner Space Online, “Jim Shooter just asked me Lee/Jack Kirby way. It was known as the ‘Marvel Style’: the writer if I wanted to work at Marvel, offered me $10 more a page than what I would produce a plot, the artist would produce the artwork and then was getting at DC, and I said yes. Mind you, that was only like $28 per the writer would go back in and write the dialogue.” Let’s Get Small Issue

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Giant-Size Man-Thing (top) A Marvel crossover in issue #7 (July 1979), with Golden’s cover pencils inked by Neal Adams. (bottom) Signed Golden original art from Micronauts #10 (courtesy of Heritage), featuring inks by Al Milgrom. TM & © Takara LTD/A.G.E., Inc. and Marvel Characters, Inc.

Mantlo and Golden began fleshing out characters for Micronauts. Bug and Marionette were placed in the comic for more interaction in the stories. The former was loosely based on the Galactic Warrior figure, but Acroyear pretty much served the same role for the series. Bug, in a sense, was comic relief. Princess Mari didn’t even have a toy made by Mego. Yet she was put in as a love interest for Commander Rann/Space Glider. Mantlo himself described character conception in his introduction for Marvel’s Micronauts Special Edition #2, released on October 18, 1983: “Michael took design-concepts suggested by the toys and breathed cosmicity into them. I could provide ideas, suggestions, words … but Michael MADE Bug, he MADE Marionette, he MADE the Time Travelers and the HMS Endeavor and the Acroyears.” Marvel was uncertain at first if its characters could appear alongside the Endeavor’s crew in Micronauts. It turned out that Mego permitted the House of Ideas to use their own heroes and villains in the book. In fact, the Macabre Man-Thing shows up in issue #7 (July 1979), and a new superhero who could be anyone—even you—a hero called Captain Universe made his debut the following month. However, the Micronauts could not appear in other Marvel series. Bill Mantlo and all involved in the opening chapter in the Micronauts saga worked hard. However, their efforts were disliked at first. In the aforementioned BEM interview and A Life in Comics, Mantlo stated, “We got to work, and produced the most convoluted first issue in the history of comics! Jim [Shooter] and Stan [Lee] were appalled! ‘What did you do? We can’t understand this?!,’ they yelled. ‘And if we can’t understand it, how do you expect the kids to understand it?!’” Mantlo and Golden were downtrodden. Yet they continued to push on with the Micronauts saga. Mantlo himself had stated in BEM, which was later quoted in A Life in Comics, “Michael and I got extremely depressed, and began to try and simplify the storyline without sacrificing any of the sci-fi elements inherent in the book; no easy task when you’re dealing with immortality, body banks, sub-molecular solar systems, warp drives, and the like. But we persevered.” That perseverance eventually ended up giving the team of Bill Mantlo and Michael Golden the green light for Micronauts after the necessary corrections to their overall tale were made. The finished result was a microscopic space opera of galactic proportions with miniature heroes and villains that could possibly rival those that were two to three times the size of the Micronauts.

FROM OUT OF THE MICROVERSE The Microverse was a subatomic cosmos seen in such Marvel titles as Fantastic Four and The Incredible Hulk. Micronauts #1, cover-dated January 1979 and released on September 19, 1978, began on the DNA Helix-shaped Homeworld at the very center of the Microverse. The first Micronaut Commander Arcturus Rann returned from a thousand-year mission exploring the Microverse in suspended animation on board the H.M.S. Endeavor with the roboid (a mixture of organics and machine) Biotron. Rann’s former mentor, ex-chief scientist and murderer of Dallan and Sepsis Rann—the commander’s parents—Baron Karza ruled the Microverse with a pair of detachable iron fists. The poor and those who rebel against the tyrant become fodder for Karza’s mad genetic experiments by either becoming drone-like Dog Soldiers or being sent to the Body Banks, where the infirm, aged, and/or dying of Homeworld’s well-to-do are given virtual immortality via transplants of limbs, organs, and even entire bodies. Commander Rann and Biotron were not greeted with the hero’s welcome that was expected. Instead, Rann is placed in Baron Karza’s prison—nicknamed the Pleasure Pit—where he meets master thief Insectivorid from Kaliklak, Bug, who was imprisoned for defying the provisional government Karza placed on the planet, and Acroyear, prince of Spartak, who had his throne usurped by his albino brother Acroyear II/Shaitan. Shaitan also thoughtwashed his people into allying themselves with Karza.

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“Death-Fugue of the Psycho-Man!” Micronauts #17 (May 1980, cover seen in background) featured the menace of Fantastic Four foe Psycho-Man. (right) Interior page from that issue, with Al Milgrom finishes over Howard Chaykin layouts. TM & © Takara LTD/A.G.E., Inc. and Marvel Characters, Inc.

Warp drive had been discovered, allowing Baron Karza to conquer the Microverse faster. This left many of those from numerous races who opposed the ebony-armored villain to become political prisoners in the Pleasure Pit. As Commander Rann listens to Bug and Acroyear explain this, he sees Princess Mari, codenamed Marionette for her guise of a life-sized puppet used to spy for the underground, and Microtron, Mari’s diminutive roboid friend and teacher since childhood who “pulled the strings” on Marionette on espionage missions. For Rann, seeing Mari was love at first sight. Mari, along with her brother, Prince Argon, survived Karza’s massacre of the figurehead royal family that replaced Rann’s mother and father. Later in the Mantlo/Golden run, Argon becomes a centaur after his horse Oberon is grafted to him in Baron Karza’s Body Banks. The Shadow Priests, who aided the rebellion against Karza after working with the villain, give the prince Dallan Rann’s sacred battle armor. Argon names himself Force Commander and leads Homeworld’s revolutionaries alongside the beautiful and resourceful Slug. Commander Rann, Bug, and Acroyear must combat a Deathtank in Baron Karza’s arena the next day while the dictator, Shaitan, and a Shadow Priest watch. When the wicked baron’s weapon is destroyed, Acroyear’s people battle the trio just as Mari aids them in escaping and finding both Biotron and the Endeavor. An armada of Acroyear ships pursue the group later called the Micronauts into deep space. The Endeavor and Acroyears approach the barrier between the Microverse and the Macroverse called the Space Wall. The ships despot’s force-field is deactivated, piercing his armor. breach it, with the Micronauts and Acroyears finding Not content with losing to the Enigma Force/Rann, themselves on a world of giants its inhabitants call Earth. Baron Karza uses the energy from Homeworld’s core On the gargantuan planet, the Micronauts make al milgrom in a last-ditch effort to triumph over his enemy. Yet friends with retired NASA astronaut Ray Coffin and Rann’s power increased as Karza’s waned. All the good his young son Steve and become a foe of Professor Philip Prometheus. former colleague of Ray Coffin and head of Cape in the Multiverse fueled the Enigma Force, allowing it, in Arcturus Canaveral’s Human Engineering Life Laboratory (H.E.L.L.). The cybernetic Rann’s form, to beat Baron Karza. His using the center of Homeworld as Professor Prometheus, was driven mad with an obsession with the a means to destroy Rann brings about his own downfall as he plummets Microverse. The mad scientist is aggressive with Steve, who has a into the very pit he sought to use. All that is left behind is the ravendead Acroyear soldier. To defend his son, Ray Coffin fights colored tutelage. The Micronauts have won. The Microverse is free Prometheus, forcing both men to fall into the dimensional gateway from Karza’s oppression. Homeworld now has a new ruler in Prince the Prometheus Pit. Believed to be dead on Earth, Ray Coffin and Argon, Acroyear has fought his albino brother Shaitan to the death, Professor Prometheus are actually giants in the Microverse. Ray and the crew of the H.M.S. Endeavor, after healing their wounds, move became Captain Universe, another emissary of the Enigma Force, on to seek out action and adventure wherever they may find it. Micronauts was a success for Marvel, Mantlo, Golden, and all parties while Prometheus served as a vessel for the mind of Baron Karza, who learned of the Macroverse’s existence from Shaitan upon the behind the creation of the opening serial. However, there were rough roads traveled to bring the book to readers. As deadlines fast approached, treacherous Acroyear’s return to the Microverse. The war with Baron Karza is now fought on two fronts as the now- plotting for the series was done on a biweekly basis instead of monthly. giant tyrant has H.E.L.L. and Cape Canaveral under siege. Ray Coffin Inker Joe Rubinstein left the series after the seventh issue unsure of manages to defeat him as Captain Universe sends Karza back to the the artistic direction in which Michael Golden was going. According to Microverse. The Micronauts also return to find a squadron of Acroyear Mantlo: A Life in Comics, Golden was told his visuals were too confusing, battle cruisers to greet them. Shamed by the actions of Shaitan’s betrayal, and he opted to change his style to something similar to Jack Kirby. Golden the Acroyears wish to make amends with their rightful ruler. Acroyear is himself stated in the Inner Space Online interview, “It was constantly given back Spartak’s throne just as Baron Karza’s armada fires its weapons ‘Do it like Kirby, do it like Kirby, do it like Kirby.’ I finally just gave in.” Yet Al Milgrom tells BACK ISSUE that Golden had drawn a fine line at the planet, forcing Acroyear to meld with the very essence of Spartak, the Worldmind. The Worldmind saves the planet. Yet Bug is thought to that did not show up well on the paper used in that period. Golden be dead, and Karza has captured Princess Mari and Arcturus Rann. The used a different method that was Kirby-like. Whatever caused the mad dictator’s celebration over his foes’ apprehension is short-lived, diverse nature of the art, Golden was dissatisfied with the change in however. Prince Argon’s rebels have taken over the Body Banks, and Time the visuals and the politics at Marvel afterwards. Golden decided to Travelers merge with Arcturus Rann to become a nearly omnipotent move on to other work after he finished Micronauts #12 (Dec. 1979). being to fight Karza while the Acroyears aid Force Commander and the A void needed to be filled in the creative team if the four-color Micronauts. As the struggle between Rann and Karza continues, the adventures of Commander Rann and his comrades were to continue. Let’s Get Small Issue

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BUG’S HOMECOMING What the Hal…? A different type of space odyssey as Computrex stages a computer-coup on this astounding original art page by Pat Broderick and Armando Gil, courtesy of Heritage. From Micronauts #24 (Dec. 1980). TM & © Takara LTD/A.G.E., Inc. and Marvel Characters, Inc.

snatchers on a mission to bring down what’s left of Baron Karza’s colonial troops in the Insectivorid hives. Meanwhile, the Marvel Universe’s espionage agency S.H.I.E.L.D. wants all information they can get on the Micronauts and the Microverse, and they intend to take it from none other the world-famous Fantastic Four. Love was also in the air for the Micronauts. Arcturus Rann and Princess Mari let their feelings for each other come out into the open. Bug and Acroyear’s ladies, the Insectivorid Jasmine and the warrior Cilicia, betrothed to the king of Spartak, respectively, become crew members of the Endeavor. However, happiness for one of Commander Rann’s friends wouldn’t last long. Jasmine ends up dying when the Micronauts and the Fantastic Four combat the latter team’s old foe the Psycho-Man. Yet there was little time for mourning, for after Jasmine’s memorial service on Earth, the Micronauts found themselves battling dolls in a child’s dollhouse. With that, Howard Chaykin ended his cycle on Micronauts with the 18th issue. Once again, there was an empty space in the book’s creative team, and Bill Mantlo was hoping to recapture the magic of the beginning pat broderick year of the series.

Al Milgrom continued to do double duties on Micronauts #13–18. He edited and provided finishes for the layouts of American Flagg! creator Howard Chaykin. Chaykin was no stranger to science-fiction at the time. He drew Marvel’s early Star Wars comic books. In spite of Chaykin’s familiarity with the genre, his work, at least according to Bill Mantlo, seemed uninspired and lacked the imagination and detail that defined Micronauts during its freshman year. Mantlo himself is quoted in A Life in Comics saying, “The Microverse didn’t work under Chaykin. The magic was gone.” Whatever Micronauts may have lacked after Michael Golden’s departure didn’t deter Bill Mantlo’s ability to continue the saga of Commander Arcturus Rann and his band of tiny heroes. Issues #13–15 showed Bug return to his home planet of Kaliklak to find when his father Wartstaff had taken over leadership of his gang of thieves. Upon getting back what was rightfully his, Bug takes his team of cutthroats and purse-

HAIL HYDRA! With Howard Chaykin’s departure, an artist to replace him was severely needed on Micronauts. Once again, Steve Ditko worked on an Annual with Rick Buckler doing the first seven pages of the tale that saw the Micronauts in New York City battling the Toymaster, who was using plastic versions of our heroes to attack them in Macy’s Department Store. Toymaster turned out to be Professor Philip Prometheus. He had sold prototypes of Micronauts action figures to a manufacturer create his own tiny army. His control devices for them had caused the living Micronauts to be under his power. Only Marionette was unaffected as there was no toy based on her. Her timely interventions aided her comrades in defeating their foe. Meanwhile, the main Micronauts book had its new artist in Pat Broderick. Broderick was no stranger to space heroes and cosmic battle at the time. He became well known for his work on Marvel’s Captain Marvel. The choice of Broderick seemed only natural for Commander Rann and the crew of the Endeavor. However, finding visual references was not easy for Broderick at the time as he only had previous issues of Micronauts to go by. Louise Simonson, who had replaced Al Milgrom as editor, had arranged for Michael Golden to send the toys to him. Once they arrived, Broderick got to work. Broderick recalls how he got involved with Micronauts and the direction he took with the art: “I had been following The Micronauts since the series had launched with Michael Golden handling the art chores. Now, I had been, and still am, a HUGE Golden fan, but by the time the series was offered, it had suffered under some really uninspiring work by Howard Chaykin for six issues, so I saw this as an opportunity to rework the series back to its original approach. It turned out that it was quite a successful direction to take.” Broderick’s run began with Bug, who had run off to be on his own after Jasmine’s death, becoming leader of an army of insects controlled by new villain Odd John. Scott Lang, the second Ant-Man, even shows up to aid the team, but only Biotron meets him face to face. The conflict between Odd John’s six-legged soldiers

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was a victorious one for the Micronauts. Yet the group is separated. Rann and Mari fought the Plant-Man to aid a florist who was his girlfriend, Biotron, while searching for parts to repair the Endeavor, faced the Molecule Man, and Bug, Microtron, Acroyear, and Cilicia went up against a man claiming to be “the Best Darn Burglar in the Whole Wide World.” Once the team is back together, they face a villain for the newly dawning computer age—the sentient Computrex, created by Mentallo and the Fixer. Not to be outdone by the giants of Earth, Homeworld was rather busy in a backup feature in issues #21–25 called “Tales of the Microverse.” These showed a gradual change in the benevolent Prince Argon as Karza had used Argon as a host body to return for revenge on the Micronauts and to get his empire back. This time, Karza has the terrorist organization Hydra on his side as he has become the Hydra Supreme. Nick Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D. team up with the Micronauts. However, the Enigma Force could not aid them on the battlefield that was the amusement park Fantasy World. Both the Time Travelers and Arcturus Rann are Karza’s prisoners. This forces Acroyear to meld once again with the Worldmind, leaving Spartak defenseless against Hydra/Dog Soldier attacks in the Microverse. Yet both the powerful entity and warrior king knew that it was the only way to save both universes and prevent the Acroyears from becoming too cold as a race. Unfortunately, the monarch is later labeled a traitor by his nownomadic people including his betrothed Cilicia. Acroyear must later brand his forehead to show this when he returned to the barren Spartak. Acroyear isn’t the only Micronaut to feel loss in the Mantlo/Broderick run. Biotron is destroyed in this conflict with Baron Karza, leaving Commander Rann without one his oldest friends. The aftermath of the second conflict with Baron Karza saw Commander Rann in a coma. S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Micronauts needed the aid of Dr. Leonard Samson from The Incredible Hulk to enter Rann’s mind, where they fought Dr. Strange’s nemesis Nightmare. Their fantastic voyage inside their comrade’s brain allows them to confront their worst fears and defeat Nightmare before returning to the Microverse. The Micronauts’ homecoming to Homeworld was not without adventure. They go on a quest in Homeworld’s various zones for three keys that can aid in learning the origins of the Microverse while searching for the Time Travelers and facing demons who had driven Prince Wayfinder, Arcturus Rann’s ancestor, who is the first and original of the Time Travelers, from Earth. A tablet containing an inscription first seen by the Micronauts in Arcturus Rann’s consciousness is found in the Macroverse by Dr. Strange. As the toy-sized heroes go on their search for the trio of objects that can save both universes from annihilating one another, the Master of Mystic Arts uses his astral form to breach the Space Wall and enter the

Microverse to help our heroes. Joining the Micronauts are Prince Pharoid, ruler of Homeworld’s desert zone Aegypta, who secretly spied on the Micronauts for Argon; the female roboid Nanotron; the singing sprite of the Enigma Force, Fireflyte; and the red furry Devil, from the area called Tropica. The now-power-mad Force Commander has sent his Death Squad of Lobros, Centauria, Ampzilla, and Battleaxe to exterminate the saviors of the multiverse. Argon has also branded the Endeavor’s crew as traitors to Homeworld. Meanwhile, Commander Rann must find the tomb of Prince Wayfinder and place the three keys into the crypt’s door, which contains the same verse found on the stone tablet discovered by Dr. Strange. Both Strange and Rann become one with the Enigma Force as the next Captain Universe once the grave is opened. They defeat the demons after the three glyphed keys are in their respective locks. Yet it is not a victory without a price. The Micronauts are now considered renegades by a man who was once their friend, and Fireflyte’s lifeforce is drained by the demons during the conflict. While Pat Broderick found the Marvel style of storytelling more creatively liberating when compared to DC’s use of full scripts, Bill Mantlo had mixed opinions on Broderick’s style. “Pat had all the magic,” Mantlo was quoted in Mantlo: A Life in Comics, “but he didn’t want to draw all the mundane street scenes and establishing shots. My plots would have, ‘Okay, Pat, now we break for a quiet moment with the Micronauts getting used to each other.’ Nope. Forget that. What I got back was them flying, jumping, screaming—y’know, weird camera angles. So I’d say from issue #12 to issue #29 I was totally lost in what was going on in The Micronauts. I had no idea. I wasn’t getting back what I asked for in the plots.” Mantlo at the time had signed a contract with Marvel after years of being a freelance writer. Micronauts, however, was under the scrutiny of editor in-chief Jim Shooter. According to Mantlo, his stories were constantly meeting with disfavor from Shooter, who found them to be confusing. Broderick handed in the art for his final Micronauts tale in the October 1981 cover-dated 34th issue some months later, with Val Mayerik doing layouts for Danny Bulanadi’s finished art for the next book that concluded that chapter in the saga of the Micronauts. After Broderick’s departure, the series went through a proverbial merry-go-round of artistic changes. Let’s Get Small Issue

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The Kane Mutiny Despite his history drawing DC’s Lilliputian Lawman, the Atom, artist Gil Kane never felt quite at home as the Micronauts artist. From Heritage, original art to the splash page of Micronauts #44 (Aug. 1982), with Kane breakdowns finished by several inkers (see credits). TM & © Takara LTD/A.G.E., Inc. and Marvel Characters, Inc.

RAISING KANE

comic shops, with no advertisements and 32 pages of story. While that issue delved into Commander Rann’s past with mentor Baron Karza, and Bug and Acroyear’s first meeting, the next one, drawn by the aforementioned Steve Ditko, explained how readers can buy Micronauts while Commander Rann and his team try to fight Force Commander’s new comrades, the Acroyear soldiers, and repair the Endeavor to return to the Microverse. After the series of fill-ins, Gil Kane (Green Lantern, Amazing Spider-Man) became regular artist on Micronauts for six issues beginning with #40 (Apr. 1982). Kane also drew the backup tale with Bug and Acroyear two issues prior to his first one. The Mantlo/Kane run found the Micronauts teaming up with the Thing, Franklin Richards, and the Wasp while seeking aid from the Fantastic Four and Avengers to return to the Microverse after losing the Endeavor in the gargantuan sewers of New York City. Foes at this point in the series included Dr. Doom, Arcade, Computrex, the undead Professor Prometheus, and Dr. Nemesis. Marionette, Acroyear, and Bug are sent back to the Microverse by Nemesis, while Commander Rann, believing the trio were killed by gil kane Nemesis, remains on Earth with Devil, Microtron, and Nanotron. As Rann’s group tries to return to the Microverse, Marionette’s squad is in the midst of the rebellion against the princess’ dictatorial brother. Slug and Pharoid are prisoners in the Pleasure Pit, with Argon’s betrothed forced to switch minds with the aged sycophant Duchess Belladonna, a character first shown in the Mantlo/Golden run. However, when the newly young Belladonna realizes Argon, who is now more monster than man, merely wanted the marry the duchess in Slug’s body to bring down the rebellion’s morale, she and Slug join forces to aid Pharoid and the underground led by Princess Mari, Acroyear, and Bug. Speaking of morale, Arcturus Rann’s is low. He blames himself for the loss of his teammates. Devil, in the meantime, has gone from fun-loving Tropican to a raging savage. This aids the stranded Micronauts on occasion. Yet it gets increasingly difficult to calm Devil as he continues to be on Earth. Only a recording the song of Fireflyte stored in Microtron’s database seems to soothe the animalistic Micronaut. While Gil Kane loved the concepts and felt Bill Mantlo’s ideas first rate, he found Micronauts, in his words from an article in the magazine Amazing Heroes #7, “The hardest book I ever drew.” Kane spent his first week on Micronauts shuffling through material to find the characters. He noted that the series’ success depended on it being true to Mantlo’s ideas and instincts. Mantlo himself became frustrated because he felt Kane wasn’t following the plots given to him. Issue #45 was the last Micronauts story for Gil Kane. Luke McDonnell and Mike Vosburg provided fill-in art for the next two issues which had Commander Rann, Devil, Microtron, and Nanotron’s next adventure on an island inhabited by beings from the Microverse called the Soul Survivors, named for the fact that they are vampires who drink souls instead of blood. Commander Rann and Biotron had first encountered the Soul Survivors on their 1000-year mission exploring the Microverse. The pair from the Endeavor had an extremely pro-

Once again the Micronauts found their way back to the giant planet Earth as Keith Giffen (Justice League), Greg LaRocque (Flash), John Garcia (Warren’s Creepy and Eerie), and Steve Ditko provided visuals for their adventures. Not content to have the Micronauts still alive on Earth, Prince Argon uses Karza’s Body Banks to make street urchin Iann-23 into a living adaptable weapon named Huntarr. Huntarr is sent to Earth to kill the Micronauts when the fearsome foursome the Death Squad fails to do so. Their battlegrounds included an elementary school and the X-Men’s Danger Room, where the teleporting mutant Nightcrawler assists the Micronauts. Meanwhile, Argon’s future bride Slug has joined the rebellion against her former beloved. This results in her being captured along with Prince Pharoid. Issue #38 (Feb. 1982) marked a significant change in how the Micronauts series was released. It was among the first in Marvel’s titles to experiment with a new format in the then-fledgling direct sales market for

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found effect on these people, so much so that the Soul Survivors built their own gigantic living ship in the likeness of Biotron. Like the Micronauts many years later, the Soul Survivors penetrated the Space Wall and found themselves on Earth. They inhabited the island in the Bermuda Triangle that also serves as a graveyard for giants and their airplanes and boats. Rann discovered the Soul Survivors after they placed him in a model of his stasis chamber on the Endeavor. The voyage to the Macroverse transformed them from humanoid to soul-devouring creatures. Their Biotron ship crashed into the ocean. Now, the Soul Survivors wish to return to the Microverse. On the Homeworld front, Marionette’s underground is fighting a heated battle that could decide the fate of the Microverse and all who live in it. Mari confronts her brother as a diversion while Acroyear, Bug, and a group of rebels attack Argon’s Body Banks to free a weakened Pharoid. It does not go well for our heroes, for Mari must leap to what appears to be her death while her allies confront the Death Squad. On Earth, Devil is once again enraged, but the Soul Survivors’ chant, which is like Fireflyte’s song, quells his rampage, and their soul-stealing touch nearly kill the hairy Tropican. The timely arrival and attack of the Biotron ship saves Rann and Devil and leads into the next artist’s sojourn into the many worlds of the Micronauts.

BUTCH AND SUNDANCE

In the Mighty Marvel Manner

When Micronauts #48 was released on August 31, 1982, the series was starting to regain the momentum it had with Bill Mantlo’s collaborations with Michael Golden and Pat Broderick. A new artist and Al Milgrom’s “discovery,” Jackson “Butch” Guice, began drawing the adventures of Commander Rann’s band of heroes. However, it was not the first time he had worked with Bill Mantlo. Guice had ghost-penciled an Annual for ROM roughly a year before working on Micronauts. Guice would later be one of the many talents behind the famous “Death and Return of Superman” story for DC Comics. Micronauts was Guice’s first regular professional job in comics. He designed patches and insignias for uniforms when he had received the assignment. “Bill Mantlo remembered my work,” Guice informs BACK ISSUE. “When he and Micronauts editor Al Milgrom began casting about for a new penciler on the book, Bill pitched my name for consideration. I’ve never understood why those handful of ROM pages made any sort of impression upon him but am forever indebted to Bill for his kindness. It certainly would have been easier to use someone who was already working at Marvel, but for whatever his reason, he took the time to track me down. If I still remember it correctly, Bill blind-called me first to see if I was even interested in trying out, and Al followed up the next day with an official offer to pencil Micronauts #48.” Let’s Get Small Issue

Among Micronauts’ Marvel crossovers: (left) The wee ones stumble into a Nick Fury/Hydra tussle in issue #26 (Feb. 1981). Cover by Pat Broderick. (right) Nightcrawler (and other X-Men) BAMF! by in issue #37 (Jan. 1982). Cover by Greg LaRocque and Al Milgrom. TM & © Takara LTD/A.G.E., Inc. and Marvel Characters, Inc.

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Twice, from Guice (left) Autographed promo poster touting Jackson “Butch” Guice’s Micronauts art. (right) Butch’s cover to issue #57 (Mar. 1984). TM & © Takara LTD/A.G.E., Inc. and Marvel Characters, Inc.

The Mantlo/Guice run started off with a bang as the Biotron ship continues to fire on the Soul Survivors, exterminating them. Microtron and Nanotron had found the vessel underwater in #47. The diminutive roboids sacrificed themselves so that Rann and Devil could return to the Microverse. They give the sentient Biotron starship memories and experiences of the original Biotron while Commander Rann mind-links with it. This causes Rann to age somewhat. Devil is attacked and killed by the last remaining Soul Survivor. Yet that ending marks a new beginning. Fireflyte has returned. She and Devil were various stages of the same life. In the meantime, the Biotron ship has broken through the Space Wall, where it and its crew find the Time Travelers now must maintain the barrier’s integrity to prevent both the Microverse and the Macroverse from being destroyed after the battle with the demons in issue #34. On Homeworld, Prince Argon is preparing to wed Belladonna/ Slug while his sister Mari is trying to sabotage the Weather Tower which controls Homeworld’s First Zone’s climate. She must also convince Huntarr to help her. The other Micronauts and rebels are forced to surrender. The shocks continued when the team learned that Argon was once again host body for Baron Karza, who is later turned to a mere human by the Time Travelers after the despot understands that wielding the Enigma Force would mean not having anything to conquer. This time, however, Force Commander did not survive the possession. In fact, many supporting characters perish in this period. Slug, Belladonna, and Prince Pharoid are among those who lose their lives at the missile-like, ebon-armored hands of Baron Karza. With the Enigma 50 • BACK ISSUE • Let’s Get Small Issue

Force refusing to get involved in the latest conflict with the villain no matter how many times Commander Rann and Fireflyte communicate with the Time Travelers during meditations, the Micronauts, led by Marionette, are forced to seek aid elsewhere in the Microverse to form a new army against Karza. Their voyages took them to such worlds as Prisonworld, where Karza’s political prisoners are gangsters similar to those in Edward G. Robinson films, and the frozen planet NeverSummer. The Micronauts, along with new member Huntarr, even encounter the Insectivorids and Acroyear’s space-wandering people, whose leader Cilicia is pregnant with Acroyear’s child. Both Bill Mantlo and Jackson Guice found working on Micronauts a pleasant experience. Mantlo was the seasoned pro, and Guice was the new artist. Guice tells BI, “I can’t adequately express how grateful I am to have had someone like Bill Mantlo as my first collaborator. My impression is, Bill genuinely loved comics and the act of creating them. I’m certain he worked very hard—he had to, as he was writing a bunch of titles at any given time—but he treated the whole experience (at least with me) as if we were two kids playing hooky from school, off on some adventurous lark. Bill was always excited when we spoke— whether it was about the current story we were developing or just some visual bit I added which he enjoyed—and his enthusiasm was infectious. Every phone call with him felt as if you were talking to your long-distance best friend, so there were a lot of phone calls— sometime two or three a week. Bill would often get so enthused tossing off rapid suggestions and ideas we’d occasionally lose track of the initial topic of discussion, and he would be telling me what he’d like our characters to be doing six or ten months down the line.”

ENTER THE X-MEN, EXIT THE CREATIVE TEAM One particular Mantlo/Guice project had another mastermind behind it. X-Men scribe Chris Claremont came aboard for a four-issue team-up miniseries featuring Marvel’s merry mutants and the Micronauts. The X-Men and the Micronauts came about when Bill Mantlo wanted to attract new readers to Micronauts to sell more comics. Jackson Guice was not present during the initial planning for the series. He was offered the assignment and accepted it. Guice recalls a “Marvel Style” plot with art directions along the lines of the following: “Establishing shot. We see a thousand menacing alien spacecraft advancing in formation. Opposite them, another thousand opposing ships of a different design hold a battle line in space. Suddenly—the ships on both sides open fire. Thousands of particle energy beams/photon-like torpedoes/and other high tech alien weaponry rip into the ships on both sides. Death! Carnage! Destruction! Millions of dead now float among the broken ships and debris.” Chris Claremont, a good friend of Bill Manto’s, recalls fondly working on The X-Men and the Micronauts. “The project as a whole was fun,” he informs BACK ISSUE. “We co-plotted and co-wrote. We hung out in the office and did this, very fun and collegial. Bill was always a pleasure to work with, taking things in a new and interesting direction. Jackson Guice did some great art, and the Micronauts were cool characters to play with for a miniseries.” Claremont and Mantlo alternated plotting The X-Men and the Micronauts. Mantlo would do the Micronauts parts while Claremont worked with the X-Men. The miniseries, whose first issue debuted on October 4, 1983, saw Commander Rann allied with Baron Karza to fight an evil known only as the Entity, who is revealed to be the repressed dark side of Professor Charles Xavier. The Entity is destroying worlds in the Microverse and proving to be too powerful for even Karza and the Micronauts. Investigation of the Entity’s energy leads to the Macroverse and the X-Men. Hero is pitted against hero, and minds switch bodies as Kitty Pryde finds herself in Baron Karza’s black armor. The Entity puts the might of both the Micronauts and X-Men to the test. Both teams are victorious against the Entity as Xavier regains control of his mind, and Karza and Kitty are back where they belong. While the X-Men deal with a world that hates and fears mutants, the Micronauts must return to the Microverse for a final battle with their longtime foe. Micronauts #58 (May 1984) marked the end of Bill Mantlo’s long run on the title. Both he and Jackson Guice crafted a tale that saw the Micronauts return to the Microverse thanks to Fireflyte’s song after their adventure with the X-Men, only to find that Baron Karza had practically obliterated it. Amid the carnage, Commander Rann and his comrades fight valiantly against the mad scientist-turned-dictator’s monstrous creations. Fireflyte, weakened from the voyage home, places herself in a cocoon of her making. Princess Mari, enraged by losing her family and her home, thrusts her dagger into Karza’s heart. The maniacal baron is now dead, and beings from all over the Microverse gather to see if the tyrant will ever rule their lives with fear ever again. The Micronauts move on to heal their wounds and decide what the future holds for them. This issue was a poignant goodbye for both Bill Mantlo, who had seen the Micronauts through all their sagas from the beginning, and Butch Guice, who had found his first regular professional work in comics to

be an experience he’ll never forget. They were leaving the characters of the Microverse for a young girl from South Carolina, a beautiful female space pirate, and her alien crew and a wise-talking cat. In fact, the farewell image of Micronauts #58, drawn by Guice and featuring him and Mantlo with the Micronauts, had Guice utter the words, “C’mon, buddy! We got some swashbucklin’ to do.” The Micronauts had finished a series of stories lasting about six years. Yet Commander Rann’s band of heroes’ time with Marvel was from over. A new creative team would take them into other regions of the cosmos very soon.

Mutants and Microns Photostat of the cover art to The X-Men and the Micronauts #2 (Feb. 1984), courtesy of Heritage. Art by Jackson Guice and Bob Wiacek.

NEW VOYAGES AND NEW CHALLENGES Bill Mantlo and Jackson Guice had left Micronauts to work on Swords of the Swashbucklers. However, it was not the end for Commander Rann’s band of heroes in the comics pages. Peter B. Gillis (Dr. Strange and Shatter, the first comic drawn with a computer) took on the writing chores for the 59th and final issue of the first series. His tale served as an epilogue for volume one and a prologue for another book. Gillis describes the transition in the following way:

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TM & © Takara LTD/A.G.E., Inc. and Marvel Characters, Inc.

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“I had always felt that Micronauts was Bill at the top of his game: It showed what he could do when he had an open field to create. Not just the spectacular Michael Golden issues, but the stints with Pat Broderick and Jackson Guice showed that it wasn’t just a one-burst-of-creativity thing. But Bill had felt that he had done what he wanted with Micronauts: He was going to kill off Baron Karza, close the storyline that defined the book, and move on. He generously left me an open book marked ‘volume 2.’ He probably would have gotten miffed if I had turned around to write another volume 1, but I think he knew he didn’t have to worry about that with me.” Gillis was partnered with a new artist named Kelley Jones, who would later make a name for himself with DC characters Deadman and Batman. Jones was no stranger to the adventures of Commander Rann, Marionette, Bug, and the rest of the Microverse’s defenders. He inked Jackson Guice’s pencils in issues #54–58, a job that Hellboy creator Mike Mignola had tried out for. (Mignola inked a pinup for Guice.) Guice himself had requested Jones, who was hired by editor Ralph Macchio. Jones provided art for 17 of the 20 issues of Micronauts vol. 2, with Rod Whigham filling in on #6, and Howard Bender drawing #17 and 19. Editor Ralph Macchio had called Kelley Jones to ask the artist to do the new Micronauts series because he had liked his sample pencils. Yet Jones initially turned down the job. “I told Ralph Macchio no at first, because I only drew them to have something to ink for submission,” Jones reveals. “I didn’t have storytelling skills or any kind of experience. I was inking to pay for college. He said not to worry. He was a great judge of talent, and if I any difficulties, he’d help me out. I bought everything he said and agreed to take it on.” While Peter B. Gillis was given Bill Mantlo’s approval to write the second Micronauts series, his approach for the book was different than Mantlo’s. Gillis respected what Mantlo did. Yet he wanted to try a science-fiction series that wasn’t just a war in space. As science-fiction buff, Gillis experimented with things such as a planet with a natural laser atmosphere and the Homeworld Galaxy like a celestial DNA Helix. Micronauts: The New Voyages, as vol. 2 was named, was given the green light. However, it wasn’t without its kelley jones setbacks and challenges. Bill Mantlo had written 58 comics plus two Annuals for Micronauts, as well as co-authoring The X-Men and the Micronauts with Chris Claremont. Gillis and Jones had their work cut out for them. The initial intention was for Mantlo’s final story to end the original numbering. New Voyages, like the later books of its predecessor, was to be released in a double-sized, direct-sales-only format. This idea was axed, and New Voyages was put on the market as a regular comic, lasting for a total of 20 issues. After Baron Karza’s death in Mantlo’s final issue of Micronauts vol. 1, Homeworld is virtually a lifeless memorial of a war in which the Micronauts won a bitter victory. The battle-weary heroes Commander Arcturus Rann, Marionette, Bug, Acroyear, and Huntarr set off on a new voyage to explore the Microverse in the H.M.S. Endeavor II, a ship made from spare parts left over from the last of the Karza Wars, along with Biotron II and Microtron II, roboids with the looks and memories of their predecessors. A malfunction in the Endeavor II’s engines causes Commander Rann to lose his left hand during repairs. It also brings the Micronauts to the furthest reaches of unexplored space off another Microverse that is even more vast than they had come to realize. Their voyages bring them in contact with a variety of strange, new alien lifeforms. Each one has a connection to mysterious Makers. As all of this occurred, the Micronauts were fighting radiation poisoning and encountering

Voyages Anew (top) Golden returned to illustrate the 1st issue cover of Micronauts: The New Voyages. (bottom) From Heritage, an original interior page from #2 (Nov. 1984), spotlighting Bug. Art by Kelley Jones and Bruce Patterson. TM & © Takara LTD/A.G.E., Inc. and Marvel Characters, Inc.

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new teammates: the shape-changing Solitaire and Scion, a being who started as an egg laid by an alien. That same egg served as a power source for the Endeavor II. The Micronauts—upon being cured or radiation sickness by Scion and Huntarr, who was changed by the same creature that gave birth to Scion—receive a transporter beam carrying a comrade thought dead, Devil. Unable to reform his body, the team places Devil’s essence in Microtron II. They must return to their Microverse to investigate. What they discover shocks them. The Time Travelers and the Enigma Force have been corrupted, and many alien races, including the Insectivorids, are refugees on the planet Aegis while a new enemy threatens the very existence of the Microverse. Mari is paralyzed, and Arcturus Rann is aged a thousand years in their attempts to breach the Space Wall. Both Rann and Marionette’s spirits are broken, but it’s Rann who leaves the Micronauts to contemplate the end of his life in communion with the Dreaming Star of the Micronauts’ new friends from the other Microverse, Children of the Dreaming Star. Micronauts: The New Voyages did have a hard act to follow with its predecessor. Meanwhile, the Secret Wars II crossover was going on in most the Marvel books released in 1985, including Micronauts: The New Voyages #16 (Jan. 1986), released on October 1, 1985. Gillis regards his contribution to the event to be his least favorite of his tales of the mighty miniature heroes. It showed the Beyonder, who’s learning of good deeds by granting wishes, and Scion, who is later killed and resurrected in a new body by the Beyonder, working together to get the Micronauts to do what’s right to save a dying Microverse.

Dueling Stories

In spite of everything, The New Voyages had its share of readers. It was still selling decently—somewhere in the 125,000–150,000 copy range. However, this did not stop the series from getting canceled. While Gillis and Jones wanted to work more on the title’s “The Makers Saga,” they were told to wrap things up. Micronauts: The New Voyages was forced to end. It’s been said Marvel lost the rights to most characters except Arcturus Rann, Marionette, and Bug, which were Marvel properties. However, both Peter B. Gillis and Kelley Jones inform BI that Micronauts: The New Voyages was among the titles axed to make room for the New Universe imprint. Whatever the truth may be behind the book’s demise, another era was coming to a close for the diminutive heroes of Homeworld. The Micronauts sacrificed themselves to save the Microverse using Prometheus Pits made by Baron Karza to go into various zones in Homeworld, which were separated in a cataclysm. Yet we would not see the last of the miniature heroes in the comic pages. The Micronauts legacy would continue on for a new generation of fans. Let’s Get Small Issue

(above) Note the split page layout, allowing for two stories to be simultaneously told. Page 14 of New Voyages #17 (Feb. 1986). Art by Howard Bender and Danny Bulanadi, script by Peter B. Gillis. (left) Kelley Jones’ gripping Baron Karza cover, from issue #15. TM & © Takara LTD/A.G.E., Inc. and Marvel Characters, Inc.

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Broderick is Back! Pat Broderick, inked by Andrew Pepoy, returned to the tiny toy-inspired titans for Devil’s Due Publishing’s 2004 Micronauts miniseries. Original cover art to issue #1. Micronauts TM & © Takara LTD/A.G.E., Inc.

MICRO FUTURES The Micronauts remained in limbo with Marvel until they returned to comic shops on September 4, 1996, when the mutants Cable, Domino, Garrison Kane, and Copycat are abducted by the Psycho-Man in Cable #37 (Nov. 1996). Surviving Micronauts Arcturus Rann, Marionette, and Bug aided the group in their battle with the villain. The trio would make an appearance in Alex Ross and Jim Krueger’s Earth X limited series and return in a one-shot titled Bug, cover-dated March 1997. Written by Todd Dezago and drawn by Derec Aucoin with inks by Rich Faber and Ralph Cabrera, the book centered around Bug battling the Fantastic Four’s nemesis Annihilus, time-traveling throughout various points in the Marvel Universe’s history. A third Micronauts volume was proposed in 1998. Shon C. Bury, Dan Green, and newcomer Cary Nord, who would later be artist for Daredevil and Dark Horse Comics’ Conan, worked to update Commander Rann and his comrades for a new decade. Scripts were written, and panels were drawn. However, the series never saw the light of day as negotiations for the rights to the Micronauts property fell through. It looked like fans may not get new adventures of the crew of the H.M.S.

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Endeavor. However, that was far from the end of Arcturus Rann, Marionette, Bug, and the Micronauts franchise. The new millennium would bring about a new beginning for the miniature space adventurers. On June 12, 2002, the Image Comics and Devil’s Due Publishing Micronauts series written by Scott Wherle, with art by Eric Wolfe Hanson (pencils) and Barbara Schulz and Clayton Brown (inks), made its debut in comic shops with the first of a total of 11 issues. Arcturus Rann is replaced by Earthling Ryan Archer, and Knave—sole survivor of the Vaerian species—and Koriah—last of the Galactic Defenders— take the places of Marionette and Bug. Archer learns more and more about himself and his connections the microscopic universe of the Micronauts while battling Baron Karza, who later got his own miniseries from Image and Devil’s Due. The latter published another Micronauts comic without partnering with the company that gave readers Spawn and Savage Dragon. While it didn’t last as long as the Marvel or Image books, the Devil’s Due entry marked the return of Pat Broderick. Broderick was teamed with writer Dan Jolley and inker Andrew Pepoy. Jolley was scribe for some of the Image comic. The Jolley/Broderick collaboration was cover-dated March–May 2004 and lasted three issues. More were solicited, but nothing beyond cover art has been shown. Broderick would continue to draw the Micronauts characters for various commissions. He even provided the art for this issue’s cover, which he also digitally painted. Meanwhile, Commander Rann, Mari, and Bug, under the team name of Microns and later the Enigma Force, have had various cameos and guest appearances in Marvel Comics throughout the 21st Century, including Captain Marvel, the Realm of Kings event, and Incredible Hulks: Enigma Force. Bug can be spotted in the 2008–2009 Guardians of the Galaxy comic series. (The current book features another Bill Mantlo creation, Rocket Raccoon.) Plus, rumors continue to circulate of J. J. Abrams expressing an interest in doing a Micronauts film since Hasbro acquired the rights to the property and announced a series of toys in 2009, which as of this writing are on hold. Add to this the fact that Marvel’s original run continues to gain followers as they are found by new readers in back-issue bins everywhere. The future looks bright for the Micronauts franchise, and whatever it holds for Space Glider, Acroyear, and the rest of the gang will certainly be larger than life. Dedicated to my lovely wife Laura, who will always be in the Inner Space of my heart; two special Micronauts: Pupino—the cat that controls the multiverse, and Kento—my nephew who travels with him through time and space; Bill Mantlo—Master of Inner Space; Michael Mantlo; and all the family and friends of Bill Mantlo—Keepers of Inner Space. May the Enigma Force guide all of you forever. JAMES HEATH LANTZ is a freelance writer who was heavily influenced by television, film, old-time radio shows, and books—especially comic books—growing up in Ohio. He’s co-authored Roy Thomas Presents Captain Video with Roy Thomas and wrote the introduction for Pre-Code Classics: Weird Mysteries vol. 1 (both books published by PS Artbooks). James currently lives in Italy with his wife Laura and their family of cats, dogs, a turtle, and humans from Italy, Japan, and the United States.

John Wells

Although remembered primarily as a vehicle for reprints, the DC Comics digest line also boasted a bit of new content beyond their original covers. That extended back to its first offering in the format Tarzan Digest #1, published in July of 1972. Technically speaking, the stories in this 50-cent, 160-page issue weren’t new but they were new to comic books. Specifically, the adventures encompassed a year’s worth of Tarzan Sunday newspaper strips by Russ Manning that had originally run from January 14, 1968 to January 5, 1969. Abandoning the original layout of the strips, editor Marv Wolfman shrank or enlarged each panel to fit the digest format, typically using three panels to a page with occasional full-page images and two-page spreads. Preparing a dummy of the digest, Wolfman detailed in The Menomonee Falls Gazette #39 (September 11, 1972) that he had shipped it off to DC’s production department: “In the meantime, because there were many pictures shot up or down to certain sizes, I had the lettering on those pages and panels shot to the same size as the rest of the book so all the lettering would be one size only—nothing jumping up or down. “The entire book was then pasted up by Glynis Wein [Len’s wife], and given over to Steve Mitchell, who did extensions on all the panels. Since we were fitting into a certain size, where the art did not reach the border, we added drawings—sometimes as little as a tree—or as much as a figure being completed.” Elizabeth Ann Safian and Jerry Serpe colored the comic. The original plan had been to use Burne Hogarth Tarzan strips from the 1940s in the digest, but that idea was quickly abandoned. “We had a limited number of Hogarth stats that were in good condition, and it would have been more of a problem than it was worth to try to do a digest with them,” Wolfman wrote. Instead, a 1942 Hogarth sequence was used to ostensibly help Joe Kubert catch up on the regular Tarzan comic book in issue #211. As Wolfman noted, the extensive reformatting process ultimately saved Kubert little time. Courtesy of Tarzan copyright holder ERB, Inc., stats of Manning Sundays from 1968 to January 1972 were delivered to Wolfman. He chose the first year’s worth because “they worked within a continuity and would be an ideal page number when broken down.” The editor did depart from that continuity by running the third Sunday story to open the book. With much of the material taking place in hidden kingdoms, Wolfman wanted the issue to at least open in familiar jungle territory and the sequence in question fit the bill. Consequently, the final page of the digest led directly into its first. Like the Tarzan book, Laurel and Hardy Digest #1 would have drawn on preexisting material, in this case comics prepared for the British Laurel and Hardy Extra title over the past four years. While DC managed to get the regular-sized Larry Harmon’s Laurel and Hardy #1 (July–Aug. 1972) into print, its digest companion—and any further issues of the 20-cent comic—were grounded. According to The Comic Reader #192, “legal wrangling over who owned the rights to the characters” brought the project to an abrupt halt. The cover of the unpublished digest appeared in an ad in Adventure Comics #423 and Weird Western Tales #14. Whether because of the added production costs or the legal headaches, DC publisher Carmine Infantino got cold feet on the digest

Deirub Erusaert That’s “Buried Treasure” for those of you who don’t speak backwards like Zatanna! A new Zatara and Zatanna origin was produced in 1980 by Gerry Conway, Romeo Tanghal, and Vince Colletta for DC Special Blue Ribbon Digest #5. This original art page from that story is courtesy of Heritage Comics Auctions (www.ha.com). TM & © DC Comics.

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DC’s First Digests

moving artwork, redoing panels. Lotta work. When Jack left fulltime in 1981, they stopped doing that.” (left) DC’s first foray into the digest format, 1972’s Tarzan Over time, Superman and funny animals (along with teen and kid humor) became the favored features of the checkout-stand audience. one-shot. Cover by Joe Kubert. (right) The Laurel and Hardy DC’s annual “Year’s Best Comics Stories” was another popular draw. digest went no further than this rarely seen house ad. Composed of tales from the preceding year that many diehard collectors had already read, the best-of collections were clearly aimed Tarzan TM & © ERB, Inc. Laurel and Hardy © Cinematographische Commerz-Anstalt. at an audience that wasn’t buying the slimmer traditional comics. For collectors, one had to dig for new material in the digests, but it was there. The Best of DC #1 from 1979 included a two-page feature illustrated format and ceded the category to Gold Key and Fawcett, who’d been by Kurt Schaffenberger (and presumably written by E. Nelson Bridwell) on having success there since the late 1960s. They were joined in 1973 the secrets of “Superman’s Costume … and Clark Kent’s Clothes.” by Archie Comics, whose Archie Digest was the vanguard of an entire One month later, DC Special Series #19’s “Secret Origins of Super-Heroes” line of thick compact comics that are still thriving 40 years later. opened with a brand-new ten-page version of Wonder Woman’s origin, The news wasn’t as good for Gold Key, which abruptly got out of one that closely followed the events of All-Star Comics #8 and the digest business at the end of 1975. The Comic Reader #122 Sensation Comics #1. A Secret Origins sequel in 1980’s DC (Sept. 1975) reported that Whitman Books would be taking Special Blue Ribbon Digest #5 featured the previously over distribution of the digests with an eye toward getting unrevealed history of Zatanna and Zatara and served as them into more venues, but the decision amounted a prequel to the 1964–1966 storyline in which Zatanna to a virtual death knell. Mystery Comics Digest #26 searched for her father. It was later reprinted at full size (Oct. 1975), Golden Comics Digest #48 (Jan. 1976), and in the 2004 trade paperback JLA: Zatanna’s Search. Walt Disney Comics Digest #57 (Feb. 1976) marked the Like Zatara, 40-year-old Batman foe the Penguin end of the Gold Key digest line, which never came had simply come to life without any hint as to his back under the Whitman imprint or anything else. backstory. “Secret Origins of Super-Villains” in Best Fawcett’s Dennis the Menace Pocket Full of Fun of DC #10 settled that question in a ten-page tale by forged ahead as Archie aggressively expanded its Batman Encyclopedia writer Michael Fleisher that own digest presence in 1977. Harvey Comics dived marked the last of the digest line’s new origin stories. in the same year with three ongoing Richie Rich A few months later, one-page versions of that origin titles in the smaller format. carl gafford and those of Catwoman, the Joker, the Riddler, and Inevitably, new DC publisher Jenette Kahn decided Self-portrait by Carl Gafford. Two-Face appeared in issue #14, with art by Denys to try the format again as a 96-page package retailing Cowan and Dick Giordano. for 95 cents. With an eye toward casual readers, the line looked at Meanwhile, DC discovered that there apparently wasn’t a market genres that had been marginalized in the superhero-centric mainstream. for Jonah Hex and Other Western Tales and sent it to Boot Hill with issue Given the enduring popularity of Western paperbacks, the ongoing #3. It was replaced on the schedule with the ongoing DC Special Blue Jonah Hex and Other Western Tales seemed like a good bet to tap Ribbon Digest in late November, starting with a Legion of Super-Heroes that readership. Likewise, there were issues devoted to war comics spotlight. The cover painting of the Western digest’s unpublished (“Sgt. Rock’s Prize Battle Tales” in DC Special Series #18) and funny fourth issue appeared in a house ad in Jonah Hex #33 before being animals (“Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” in The Best of DC #4) used on the front of The Comics Journal #56 (June 1980). Its back cover along with high-profile superhero properties like Superman, Batman, art ran (in black and white) in TCJ #59. Its contents were advertised in and Super Friends (The Best of DC #1–3). Green Lantern #125 and Super Friends #29 as featuring the following: “When DC started those digests in the late 1970s,” Carl Gafford “Showdown with the Dangling Man” (reprinted from Weird Western tells BACK ISSUE, “[production manager] Jack Adler felt that the Tales #25), “The Killer’s Last Wish” (WWT #13), “Gunfight at Wolverine” lettering came out too small to be read, so he would have the lettering (WWT #31), “Death Stalk” (WWT #42), “Call Him Satan—Call Him shot at a size slightly larger, and we had to paste them into place Saint” and “Death Deals the Cards” (both from All-Star Western #3), onto the reduced art, which often meant cutting the balloons apart, 56 • BACK ISSUE • Let’s Get Small Issue

“The Replacement” (WWT #14), and a filler, “The Outlaw Trail” (by Bob Rozakis and Joe Orlando). The digests occasionally became a repository for material prepared for canceled books. Content intended for 1978’s “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” tabloid (including “Will a Stitch in Time Save Christmas?” and “The Secret of the Lucky Dragon’s Egg”) appeared one year later in The Best of DC #4. Later, in 1981’s DC Special Blue Ribbon Digest #18, the Joe Kubert covers intended for 1978’s Battle Classics #2 and 3 were run as pinups. The Best of DC #22 contained a Jack Kirby-penciled story that was originally intended for Sandman #7 in 1975. In 1978, the tale was rescheduled for Kamandi #61 with a new framing sequence, only to have that title canceled with issue #59. That issue of Best of DC also included a Captain Marvel, Jr. reprint from CMJ #22 that was originally to have run in 1975’s Limited Collector’s Edition #C-43 before the tabloid line’s page count was reduced. Various teen humor stories left in inventory following the 1972 cancellations of Binky, Date with Debbi, and Swing with Scooter appeared in DC’s digests of the early 1980s. These last stories included “It’s a Gas,” “Love That Chick,” “Wanted” (Binky), “Oh, Doctor” (Debbi), “The Silent Type,” “Witch Ring?” (Scooter), “On the Job,” and “In the Woods” (Sonny) in The Best of DC #28 (1982) and “Hat’s All, Folks” (Debbi) and “Kenny’s Fate—Is a Date” (Scooter) in Best of DC #45 (1983). While preparing a humor issue for Best of DC #29, Carl Gafford discovered a Bob Oksner-penciled Stanley and His Monster short left over from that series’ 1968 cancellation. Inking the story himself, he slotted it into the digest amidst several Sugar and Spike reprints. Four of the S&S episodes were actually new to American audiences, part of a considerable batch of pages that the tots’ creator Sheldon Mayer was producing for the overseas market at the time. Issue #41 was composed entirely of that new Sugar and Spike material. The adventures of the Super Jrs., pint-size versions of DC’s best-known heroes (Super-Kid, Wonder Tot, etc.) were also being produced for foreign licensees courtesy of artist Vince Squeglia. Their 68-page origin led off The Best of DC #58 for a 1984 Christmas issue and there were plans to continue the series in a standard-size format as part of DC’s unrealized kids line. Writer Charles Boatner joined Squeglia to produce Super Jrs. #1, reworking their origin and visuals, but the series joined the rest of the children’s imprint in limbo. [Editor’s note: There’s much more about the Super Jrs. in this issue!] DC Special Blue Ribbon Digest #23 wove a new seven-page Green Arrow and Black Canary sequence (by Mike W. Barr and Dan Spiegle) around its Green Arrow reprints. Barr also penned a three-page introduction to the stars of The Brave and the Bold in Best of DC #26, with art by Jim Aparo and Trevor von Eeden. In his capacity as editor, Barr commissioned a 15-page Legion of Super-Heroes story illustrated by Carmine Infantino with a script by regular writer Paul Levitz for Best of DC #24. Built around a 1968 Legion of SuperVillains story, the framing sequence was a sequel of sorts. For further star power, the issue also included 16 pages of Legion figure shots by George Pérez. New material was a virtual necessity when DC decided to devote a digest to Pérez and Marv Wolfman’s New Teen Titans in 1981. There were plenty of older Titans stories that could be reprinted—a Neal Adams three-parter from 1969 was selected as the showpiece— but the only adventures starring the white-hot newcomers were a year old. Hence, new members like Cyborg and Raven met old-timers Aqualad and Speedy in a new

ten-pager by Wolfman, Carmine Infantino, and Romeo Tanghal at the start of Best of DC #18. Pérez/Tanghal covers sandwiched the issue. In the summer of 1982, DC’s recently canceled Adventure Comics—whose run dated back to 1935— was revived as a digest with issue #491. While Best of DC aimed for the casual readers, Adventure was targeted very specifically at the fan market and included serializations of several fan-favorite runs—like the Skeates/ Aparo Aquaman series—whose stars had all headlined Adventure at one point or another. “One good thing about doing a regular monthly reprint digest was that you knew months in advance what would be in those issues,” its editor Carl Gafford tells BACK ISSUE, “and could order the stats made for them, both the glossies for the mechanicals and the mattes for coloring. So rather than wait until the deadline loomed every month, I gave my colorists pages way in advance, so they could color them at their leisure. Bob LeRose colored the Aparo Aquaman reprints, Jerry Serpe the Spectre reprints, Nansi Hoolihan the Sandman stories, etc. For newbies like Nansi and Shelly Eiber, it gave me time to work with them and teach them the ropes. Cover-wise, we could book them in advance, too, with Keith Giffen penciling. “When I left [DC] in 1982 to get married, the stats were all done through #499,” Gafford continues. “New editor Nick Cuti was gracious enough to keep my credit

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Comics from Cover to Cover The digests’ back covers teased readers about interior contents. Here’s a glimpse at two digests’ wraparound covers—in original art form, courtesy of Heritage. Ross Andru and Dick Giordano drew the Superboy cover, and Joe Kubert was the Haunted Tank artist. TM & © DC Comics.

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DC Triple Action (left) Neal Adams’ cover for 80-Page Giant Justice League of America #67 (Nov.–Dec. 1968) not only inspired (middle) Gil Kane’s cover for Best of DC #31 (Dec. 1982) but also (right) Jerry Ordway’s cover to the 2006 TPB, Justice League of America Hereby Elects… TM & © DC Comics.

on those issues I’d worked on. Adventure #500’s All-Legion issue was the first one Nick did on his own, and the book shut down not long after that. “Chase Craig, my editor at Hanna-Barbera, was famous at Western’s L.A. office for working far in advance, to the point (since he knew what the schedule of licensed books would be) of being a year ahead on his books. He was my inspiration for getting ahead on assignments. My definition of being late is when I’m not as early as I usually am.” In the course of working on the digests, whether in production or as an editor, Gafford made judicious changes to the reprints when necessary. A reference to a transistor radio in a 1971 reprint from Binky #70 (in Best of DC #28) was revised to a Sony Walkman. And when preparing Showcase #64’s Spectre tale for Adventure #493, Gafford “took out the reference to the Spectre getting ‘good mystic energy’ from our troops fighting in Vietnam. Didn’t think that was a good kettle of fish to open.” Among the other digests that Gafford put together was Best of DC #31’s JLA issue, collecting the stories in which Black Canary, the Elongated Man, Red Tornado, and Zatanna joined the team. He instructed Gil Kane to pattern the cover after the one Neal Adams did for JLA #67’s 1968 spotlight on the inductions of Green Arrow, the Atom, and Hawkman. “I was pushing to edit [the Adventure digest] and get some new material done for it to lure readers,” Gafford remembers. “Dick Giordano mentored me for those first two issues as I used up some unpublished Shazam! material by Nelson Bridwell and Don Newton [intended for World’s Finest #283–284], then I was on my own and Bob Rozakis and I came up with the idea of new Challengers of the Unknown stories. Sneakily, when I said we’d be doing a recap of the origin, I didn’t tell them we were relaunching the series in modern day, with the Challs on their way to a reality TV show when their plane is sabotaged. “I was really excited to get George Tuska to draw the first two chapters, as he had been the last artist on the original run of the Challs’ book. Sadly, though, I lost him after two installments when he was recruited to draw Masters of the Universe. I was sitting around, wondering 58 • BACK ISSUE • Let’s Get Small Issue

what to do, when Joe Orlando came walking around the offices, saying, ‘Alex Toth needs work! What have you got?’ Fortunately, Len Wein and I always hung around the offices after quitting time, or else I wouldn’t have had to chance to offer the Challs to Toth. We started off with Frank Giacoia inking Toth, but eventually Dan Adkins was called in to finish the series. After that first origin story [Adventure #493–497], we’d go into origins of Challenger Mountain and reintroduce villains like Multi-Man, but the bosses decided to save money and cut the new leads.” Toth had already illustrated Adventure #498’s story, though, and it sat in limbo for a year and a half. In 1985, Bob Rozakis took the story and worked it into a Jack Kirby-penciled Superman/Challengers team-up in DC Comics Presents #84. Gil Kane’s original cover art for Adventure #498 and 499 (both featuring the Challs) was published in TwoMorrows’ The Legion Companion. Among the virtues of the Adventure digest was its objective to reprint every Legion of Super-Heroes story—initially spread across multiple Superman Family series—in chronological order for the first time. Supplementing them in each issue was a page of annotation by Paul Levitz on the inside back cover. Levitz’s “Story Behind the Stories” feature remains essential reading for Legion fans even now. The digest typically ran two Legion episodes per issue but sped up the timeline in issue #500 by putting the other strips on hold for the occasion and offering ten LSH stories. Adventure expired with issue #503, but the Legion chronology project lived on, continuing with full LSH editions of Best of DC #44, 57, 64, and 67. Collectively, enough material had been reprinted to fill the first four volumes of DC’s 1990s Legion of Super-Heroes Archives. By the time The Best of DC was canceled with issue #71 (Apr. 1986), its publisher was resolutely looking forward. Intent on offering a fresh contemporary take on its iconic characters following Crisis on Infinite Earths, DC likely viewed collections of old Superman and Legion stories as counterproductive if not confusing to the new readership they were seeking to attract. And truthfully, the books were not selling well enough to justify continuing them anyway. In time, DC would explore the format again—albeit with more upscale printing—for everything from Johnny DC to Vertigo, but, for the moment, the so-called “biggest little buy in comics” was no more. JOHN WELLS is a comics historian specializing in DC Comics who has served as resource for projects ranging from Kurt Busiek’s The Power Company to Greg Weisman’s Young Justice animated series. He is the author of the TwoMorrows books American Comic Book Chronicles: 1960–1964 and …1965–1969.

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ADVENTURE COMICS #491 (Sept. 1982) Featuring: Shazam! and Superboy Cover artists: Keith Giffen and Romeo Tanghal • “The Confederation of Hell” (Shazam!; original) • “The Legion of SuperHeroes” (Superboy; Adventure Comics #247) • “Sorcerers of the Sea” (Aquaman; Aquaman #40) • “The Canary and the Cat! (Part One)” (Black Canary; Adventure Comics #418) • “The Man Who Couldn’t Sleep” (Sandman; Adventure Comics #80) • “Prisoner of the SuperHeroes!” (Superboy; Adventure Comics #267) • “War That Shook the Universe!” (Spectre; Showcase #60) ADVENTURE COMICS #492 (Oct. 1982) Featuring: Shazam! and Supergirl Cover artists: Keith Giffen and Mike DeCarlo • “…Battle With the Gods!” (Shazam!; original) • “The Trail of the Ring!” (Aquaman; Aquaman #41) • “The Three SuperHeroes!” (Supergirl; Action Comics #267) • “The Canary and the Cat! (Part Two)” (Black Canary; Adventure Comics #419) • “The Unholy Dreams of Gentleman Jack” (Sandman; Adventure Comics #85) • “The Army of Living Kryptonite Men!” (Superboy; Superboy #86) • “Beyond the Sinister Barrier!” (Spectre; Showcase #61) ADVENTURE COMICS #493 (Nov. 1982) Featuring: Challengers of the Unknown and Superboy Cover artists: Keith Giffen and Romeo Tanghal • “When Destiny Calls!” (Challengers of the Unknown; original) • “Lana Lang and the Legion of Super-Heroes” (Superboy; Adventure Comics #282) • “Is This My Foe…?” (Aquaman; Aquaman #42) • “A Nightmare Called Gorgonus” (Zatanna; Adventure Comics #419) • “Supergirl’s Three Super Girl-Friends!” (Supergirl; Action Comics #276) • “Captain Marvel and the Twisted Powers” (Shazam!; Captain Marvel Adventures #50) • “The Ghost of Ace Chance!” (Spectre; Showcase #64)

Chris Marshall ADVENTURE COMICS #494 (Dec. 1982) Featuring: Challengers of the Unknown and Superman Cover artists: Keith Giffen and Frank Giacoia • “Contract on a Champ!” (Challengers of the Unknown; original) • “Superboy’s Big Brother!” (Superboy; Superboy #89) • “The Secret of Mon-El! (Superboy’s Big Brother! Chapter 2)” (Superboy; Superboy #89) • “To Win is to Lose!” (Aqualad; Aquaman #42) • “Captain Marvel Faces Fear!” (Shazam!; Captain Marvel Adventures #89) • “The Legion of SuperVillains!” (Superman; Superman #147) • “The Sinister Lives of Captain Skull!” (Spectre; The Spectre #1) ADVENTURE COMICS #495 (Jan. 1983) Featuring: Challengers of the Unknown and Legion of Super-Heroes Cover artists: Ross Andru and Dick Giordano • “Yesterday’s Clues!” (Challengers of the Unknown; original) • “The Secret of the Seventh Super-Hero!” (Superboy; Adventure Comics #290) • “Underworld Reward” (Aquaman; Aquaman #44) • “The Man Without a World” (Shazam!; Captain Marvel Adventures #141) • “The Legion of SuperTraitors!” (Superboy; Adventure Comics #293) • “Crime Carnival” (Sandman; Adventure Comics #84) • “Die, Spectre—Again!” (Spectre; The Spectre #2) ADVENTURE COMICS #496 (Feb. 1983) Featuring: Supergirl and Challengers of the Unknown Cover artist: Gil Kane • “Tomorrow’s Answers!” (Challengers of the Unknown; original) • “Supergirl’s Greatest Challenge!” (Supergirl; Action Comics #287) • “Underworld Reward— Part 2” (Aquaman; Aquaman #45) • “The Mystery of the Missing Newsstand!” (Captain Marvel, Jr.; Shazam! #9) • “Superman’s SuperCourtship!” (Supergirl; Action Comics #289) • “Dreams of Doom” (Sandman; Adventure Comics #77) • “Menace of the Mystic Mastermind” (Spectre; The Spectre #3)

Editor’s note: Here, from A (Adventure) to T (Tarzan), in an issue-by-issue index of DC Comics’ now-hard-tofind digest series, brought to you by the man behind CollectedComicsLibrary.com, Chris Marshall. Special thanks to the Grand Comics Database (www.comics.org). All cover art in this index is TM & © DC Comics. ADVENTURE COMICS #497 (Mar. 1983) Featuring: Challengers of the Unknown and Superboy Cover artist: Gil Kane • “All Together Now!” (Challengers of the Unknown; original) • “The Boy With UltraPowers!” (Superboy; Superboy #98) • “The Explanation!” (Aquaman; Aquaman #46) • “The Mighty Marvels Join Forces!” (Marvel Family; The Marvel Family #1) • “The Face Behind the Lead Mask!” (Legion of Super-Heroes; Adventure Comics #300) • “Stop that Kid … Before He Wrecks the World!” (Spectre; The Spectre #4) ADVENTURE COMICS #498 (Apr. 1983) Featuring: Sun Boy and Bouncing Boy Cover artist: Gil Kane • “A Most Unusual And Urgent Matter” (Plastic Man; Adventure Comics #467) • “The Secret Origin of Bouncing Boy!” (Legion of Super-Heroes; Adventure Comics #301) • “Come the Revolution” (Aquaman; Aquaman #47) • “The World’s Maddest Ghost!” (Captain Marvel; Captain Marvel Adventures #138) • “The Man Who Knew All the Answers” (Sandman; Adventure Comics #74) • “Sun-Boy’s Lost Power!” (Legion of Super-Heroes; Adventure Comics #302) • “The Thanksgiving Thieves!” (Mary Marvel; Shazam! #10) • “The Spectre Means Death?” (Spectre; The Spectre #5) ADVENTURE COMICS #499 (May 1983) Featuring: Legion of Super-Heroes Cover artist: Gil Kane • “What in Blazes Happened Here, Plas?” (Plastic Man; Adventure Comics #468) • “The Fantastic Spy!” (Legion of Super-Heroes; Adventure Comics #303) • “A Kingdom to Re-Build” (Aquaman; Aquaman #48) • “The Talking Tiger” (Captain Marvel; Captain Marvel Adventures #79) • “The Villain from Valhalla” (Sandman; Adventure Comics #75) • “The Stolen Super-Powers!” (Legion of Super-Heroes; Adventure Comics #304) • “The Man in the Moon” (Captain Marvel; Captain Marvel Adventures #143) • “Pilgrims of Peril!” (Spectre; The Spectre #6)

ADVENTURE COMICS #500 (June 1983) Featuring: Legion of Super-Heroes Cover artists: Keith Giffen and Larry Mahlstedt • “The Secret of the Mystery Legionnaire!” (Legion of Super-Heroes; Adventure Comics #305) • “The Legion of Substitute Heroes!” (Legion of SuperHeroes; Adventure Comics #306) • “The Secret Power of the Mystery Super-Hero!” (Legion of Super-Heroes; Adventure Comics #307) • “The Return of Lightning Lad!” (Legion of SuperHeroes; Adventure Comics #308) • “Part I: The Legion of Super-Monsters!” (Legion of Super-Heroes; Adventure Comics #309) • “Part II: The Legion’s SuperShowdown!” (Legion of Super-Heroes; Adventure Comics #309) • “The Doom of the SuperHeroes” (Legion of SuperHeroes; Adventure Comics #310) • “Part II: Last Stand of the Legion!” (Legion of SuperHeroes; Adventure Comics #310) • “Part I: The War Between the Substitute Heroes and the Legionnaires!” (Legion of Super-Heroes; Adventure Comics #311) • “Part II: The Duel of the Legions!” (Legion of SuperHeroes; Adventure Comics #311) • “Part I: The Super-Sacrifice of the Legionnaires!” (Legion of Super-Heroes; Adventure Comics #312) • “Part II: The Bravest Legionnaire!” (Legion of Super-Heroes; Adventure Comics #312) • “The World of Doomed Olsens!” (Jimmy Olsen; Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #72) • “Part I: The Condemned Legionnaires!” (Legion of Super-Heroes; Adventure Comics #313) • “Part II: The Secret of Satan Girl!” (Legion of Super-Heroes; Adventure Comics #313) ADVENTURE COMICS #501 (July 1983) Featuring: Legion of Super-Heroes Cover artists: Ed Hannigan and Paris Cullins • “Codename: Pinkeye!” (Plastic Man; Adventure Comics #469) • “Part I: The Super-Villains of All Ages!” (Legion of SuperHeroes; Adventure Comics #314)

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• “Part 2: The Civil War of the Legion!” (Legion of Super-Heroes; Adventure Comics #314) • “The Chameleon Stone!” (Shazam!; Captain Marvel Adventures #91) • “The Ghost that Haunted Money!” (Spectre; The Spectre #7) • “Hey, Happy, Am I payin’ You to Read Newspapers…” (The Ray; Smash Comics #17) • “As the Seas Die” (Aquaman; Aquaman #49) • “Part I: The Legionnaires’ Super-Contest!” (Legion of Super-Heroes; Adventure Comics #315) • “Part II: The Winner of the Super-Tests!” (Legion of Super-Heroes; Adventure Comics #315) ADVENTURE COMICS #502 (Aug. 1983) Featuring: Legion of Super-Heroes Cover artists: Ed Hannigan and Klaus Janson • “Boy, that Plastic Man is Somethin’ Else!” (Plastic Man; Adventure Comics #470) • “Part I: The Renegade Super-Hero!” (Legion of Super-Heroes; Adventure Comics #316) • “Part II: The End of a Super-Traitor!” (Legion of Super-Heroes; Adventure Comics #316) • “The Human Hawks” (Shazam!; Captain Marvel Adventures #143) • “The Parchment of Power Perilous” (Spectre; The Spectre #8) • “Can This Be Death?” (Aquaman; Aquaman #50) • “Zatanna, the Magician” (Zatanna; Adventure Comics #413) • “Part I: The Menace of Dream Girl!” (Legion of Super-Heroes; Adventure Comics #317) • “Part II: The Doom of the Legion!” (Legion of SuperHeroes; Adventure Comics #317) ADVENTURE COMICS #503 (Sept. 1983) Featuring: Legion of SuperHeroes Cover artists: Ross Andru and Joe Rubinstein • “The Mutiny of the Legionnaires” (Legion of Super-Heroes; Adventure Comics #318) • “The Castaway Legionnaires” (Legion of Super-Heroes; Adventure Comics #318) • “Brickface, the Wall-to-Wall Killer” (Plastic Man; Adventure Comics #471) • “The Big Pull” (Aquaman; Aquaman #51) • “The Traders’ Trap” (Aquaman; Aquaman #52) • “The Tower of the Dead” (Zatanna; Adventure Comics #414) • “Kill—or Be Killed” (Zatanna; Adventure Comics #415) • “The Newsboy Legion” (Guardian; Star Spangled Comics #7)

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• “Elastic Lad Jimmy and His Legion Romances” (Jimmy Olsen; Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #76) THE BEST OF DC #1 (Sept.–Oct. 1979) Featuring: Superman Cover artists: Ross Andru and Dick Giordano • “Attack by the Army of Tomorrow!” (Superman; Superman #265) • “Superman’s Costume … Clark Kent’s Clothes!” (Superman; original) • “The Midnight Murder Show!” (Superman; Action Comics #442) • “Super Plops” (Superman; Plop! #5) • “Superman under the Red Sun!” (Superman; Action Comics #300) • “Rogues’ Gallery!” (Superman; Action Comics #389) • “The Adventures of Mental Man!” (Superman; Action Comics #196) • “Play the Graffiti Game with Superman” (Superman; Superman #272) • “Lex Luthor, Hero!” (Superman; Superman #149) • “Luthor’s Super-Bodyguard!” (Superman; Superman #149) • “The Death of Superman!” (Superman; Superman #149) • “Clark Kent’s Other Jobs” (Superman; original) THE BEST OF DC #2 (Nov.–Dec. 1979) Featuring: Batman Cover artist: Wally Fax • “The Forties Batman” (Batman; Batman #9) • “The People vs. the Batman” (Batman; Batman #7) • “Armchair Detective” (Alfred; Batman #31) • “The 1,000 Secrets of the Batcave!” (Batman; Batman #48) • “The Fifties” (Batman; Batman #69) • “The First Batman” (Batman; Detective Comics #235) • “Murder at Mystery Castle” (Batman; Detective Comics #246) • “The Sixties” (Batman; Detective Comics #387) • “The Cry of Night Is Kill!” (Batman; Detective Comics #387) • “The Seventies” (Batman; Batman #241) • “The Joker’s Five-Way Revenge!” (Batman; Batman #251) THE BEST OF DC #3 (Jan.–Feb. 1980) Featuring: Super Friends Cover artists: José Luis García-López and Bob Smith • “The Cosmic Hit Man?” (Super Friends; Super Friends #3) • “Man, Thy Name is Brother!” (Justice League of America; Justice League of America #57) • “Riddles and Rockets!” (Super Friends; Super Friends #4) • “Eye of the Beholder!” (Teen Titans; Teen Titans #18) • “The Monster Menace!” (Super Friends; Super Friends #10)

THE BEST OF DC #4 (Mar.–Apr. 1980) Featuring: Rudolph the RedNosed Reindeer Cover artist: Sheldon Mayer • “Christmas Magic!” (Rudolph; Limited Collectors’ Edition #C-50) • “The Land Behind the Sky Holes!” (Rudolph; Limited Collectors’ Edition #C-50) • “Will a Stitch in Time Save Christmas?” (Rudolph; originally intended for the 1978 Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer tabloid that was canceled in the DC Implosion of 1978) • “The Secret of the Lucky Dragon Egg!” (Rudolph the Reindeer; originally intended for the 1978 Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer tabloid which was canceled in the DC Implosion of 1978) THE BEST OF DC #5 (May–June 1980) Featuring: Top Ten Stories of 1979 Cover artists: Ross Andru and Dick Giordano • “The Miracle Man of Easy Company” (Superman and Sgt. Rock; DC Comics Presents #10) • “Never Say Die!” (Deadman; Adventure Comics #466) • “Minister of the Lord” (Jonah Hex; Jonah Hex #24) • “The Shadow of Jor-El!” (Superboy; Superman Family #196) • “The Mouse of History” (Cain; House of Mystery #267) • “The Curse of Crime Alley” (Batman; Detective Comics #483) • “Clark Kent’s Mynah Dilemma” (Clark Kent; Superman Family #197) • “Back Door to War!” (Haunted Tank; G.I. Combat #213) • “Papa Don” (Destiny; Secrets of Haunted House #17) • “Fall and Rise of the Star-Child!” (Superman; Action Comics #502) • “Best Covers of the Year” (World of Krypton #3, Weird War Tales #80, Action Comics #496, The Flash #279) THE BEST OF DC #6 (July–Aug. 1980) Featuring: The Daily Planet Cover artists: Ross Andru and Dick Giordano • “Clark Kent’s Masquerade as Superman!” (Superman; Action Comics #331) • “How Lois Lane Got Her Job” (Lois Lane; Superman’s Girl Friend, Lois Lane #17) • “Jimmy Olsen’s 1,000th Scoop!” (Jimmy Olsen; Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #51) • “The Super-Cigars of Perry White! (Superman; Action Comics #436) • “Clark Kent, Gentleman Journalist!” (Superman; Superman #85) • “Dear Dr. Cupid!” (Lois Lane; Superman’s Girl Friend, Lois Lane #45) • “The Last Headline!” (Clark Kent; Superman #280)

• “The Superman Spectaculars” (Superman; Action Comics #211) • “Jimmy Olsen Editor-inChief!” (Jimmy Olsen; Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #63) • “The End of the Planet!” (Superman; Superman #79) THE BEST OF DC #7 (Sept.–Oct. 1980) Featuring: Superboy Cover artists: Ross Andru and Dick Giordano • “Superboy Meets the Young Green Arrow!” (Superboy; Adventure Comics #258) • “The Super-Clown of Smallville!” (Superboy; Superboy #62) • “Dark Strangler of the Seas!” (Superboy; Superboy #171) • “The Millionaire of Smallville!” (Superboy; Superboy #119) • “Superboy Meets Lois Lane” (Superboy; Adventure Comics #261) • “Plague from the Past!” (Superboy; Superboy #177) • “Lex Luthor, Imp!” (Superboy; Superboy #131) • “The Kryptonite Kid!” (Superboy; Superboy #99) • “Superboy Meets Supergirl!” (Superboy; Superboy #80) THE BEST OF DC #8 (Nov.–Dec. 1980) Featuring: Superman Cover artists: Ross Andru and Dick Giordano • “The Five Other Identities of Superman!” (Superman; Action Comics #314) • “The 1,000 Lives of Superman!” (Superman; Superman #99) • “From Riches to Rags!” (Superman; Action Comics #337) • “The Super-Genie of Metropolis!” (Superman; Superman #157) • “Blind Clark Kent!” (Superman; Superman #182) • “Clark the K!” (Superman; Superman #182) • “The Super-Cop of Metropolis!” (Superman; Superman #160) • “The Shocking Secret of Super-X!” (Superman; Action Comics #408) • “Who Stole My SuperPowers?” (Superman; Superman #220) THE BEST OF DC #9 (Jan.–Feb. 1981) Featuring: Batman Cover artist: Jim Aparo • “Bat-Murderer” (Batman; Detective Comics #444) • “Break-In at the Big House” (Batman; Detective Comics #445) • “Slaughter in Silver” (Batman; Detective Comics #446) • “Enter: The Creeper” (Batman; Detective Comics #447) • “Bedlam Beneath the Big Top” (Batman; Detective Comics #448) • “Angel—or Devil?” (Batman; Batman #216) • “The Wayne Foundation Building” (Batman; Limited Collectors’ Edition #C-44)

THE BEST OF DC #10 (Mar. 1981) Featuring: Secret Origins of Super-Villains Cover artists: Ross Andru and Dick Giordano • “The Origin of the Penguin!” (Batman; original) • “Aquaman, Coward-King of the Seas!” (Aquaman; Aquaman #29) • “Here Comes Captain Boomerang!” (Flash; The Flash #117) • “The Shark That Hunted Human Prey!” (Green Lantern; Green Lantern #24) • “Shadow-Thief of Midway City!” (Hawkman; The Brave and the Bold #36) • “Green Arrow vs. Red Dart” (Green Arrow; World’s Finest Comics #95) • “Power of the Parasite!” (Superman; Action Comics #340) THE BEST OF DC #11 (Apr. 1981) Featuring: Year’s Best Comic Stories Cover artists: Ross Andru and Dick Giordano • “The Miraculous Return of Jonathan Kent!” (Superman; Action Comics #507) • “Tales of Gotham City” (Detective Comics #494) • “Dreadful Birthday Dear Joker…!” (Batman; Batman #321) • “Brief Encounter” (Time Warp #5) • “The Man Who Was the World!” (Superman and Deadman; DC Comics Presents #24) • “A Bridge Called Charlie” (Sgt. Rock; Sgt. Rock #337) • “Star Light, Star Bright … Farthest Star I See Tonight!” (Legion of Super-Heroes; DC Special Series #21) • “The Vow of a Samurai!” (Jonah Hex; Jonah Hex #39) • “Bruce the Barbarian!” (The Unexpected #205) • “The Secret World of Jonathan Kent!” (Superman; Action Comics #508)

• “A Prize of Peril” (Superman and Green Lantern; World’s Finest Comics #201) • “The Fury of the Kryptonian-Killer!” (Superman and Supergirl; Superman #195) • “World of Faceless Slaves!” (Superman and Green Arrow; World’s Finest Comics #210) • “Menace of the EnergyBlackmailers!” (Superman and Batgirl; Superman #279) • “Who’s Minding the Earth?” (Superman and Aquaman; World’s Finest Comics #203) THE BEST OF DC #14 (July 1981) Featuring: Batman’s Villains Cover artists: Ross Andru and Dick Giordano • “This One’ll Kill You, Batman (Chapter 1: And If I Laugh…)” (Batman; Batman #260) • “This One’ll Kill You, Batman (Chapter 2: …’Tis that I May Not Weep!)” (Batman; Batman #260) • “Origin of the Joker” (original) • “Half an Evil” (Batman; Batman #234) • “The Origin of Two-Face” (original) • “Batman’s Rogues’ Gallery” (original) • “The Malay Penguin!” (Batman; Detective Comics #473) • “The Origin of the Penguin” (original) • “Riddler on the Move!” (Batman; Batman #263) • “The Curious Case of the Catwoman’s Coincidences!” (Batman; Batman #266) • “The Origin of the Catwoman” (original)

THE BEST OF DC #12 (May 1981) Featuring: Superman in the Past … Future … and on Other Worlds! Cover artists: Ross Andru and Dick Giordano • “Bus-Ride to Nowhere!” (Superman; Action Comics #430) • “The Sun of Superman!” (Superman; Superman #255) • “The Starry-Eyed Siren of Space!” (Superman; Superman #243) • “Planet of the Angels” (Superman; Superman #236) • “Superman, You’re Dead … Dead … Dead!” (Superman; Action Comics #399) • “The Secret of the Space Souvenirs” (Superman; Superman #122)

THE BEST OF DC #15 (Aug. 1981) Featuring: Superboy Cover artists: Ross Andru and Dick Giordano • “The Laughing Stock of Smallville!” (Superboy; Adventure Comics #292) • “Lana Lang’s Super-Birthday” (Superboy; Superboy #64) • “The Saddest Boy in Smallville!” (Superboy; Superboy #88) • “Superboy’s Secret Hideaways” (Superboy; Superboy #153) • “The Boy Who Betrayed Clark Kent!” (Superboy; Superboy #86) • “Pete Ross’ Super-Secret!” (Superboy; Superboy #90) • “The Old Maid of Smallville!” (Superboy; Superboy #83) • “The Day Clark Kent Got a Haircut!” (Superboy; Superboy #76) • “The Dog Catcher of Smallville!” (Superboy; Superboy #73) • “The Ordeal of Chief Parker!” (Superboy; Superboy #116) • “The Rock ’n’ Roll Riddle of Smallville!” (Superboy; Superboy #195)

THE BEST OF DC #13 (June 1981) Featuring: The Best of DC Comics Presents Cover artists: Ross Andru and Dick Giordano

THE BEST OF DC #16 (Sept. 1981) Featuring: Happy Anniversary, Superman Cover artists: Rich Buckler and Dick Giordano

• “The Origin of Superman!” (Superman; Superman #53) • “The Super-Key to Fort Superman” (Superman; Action Comics #241) • “The War Between Jimmy Olsen and Superman!” (Superman; Action Comics #253) • “The Conquest of Superman!” (Superman; Action Comics #277) • “The Trial of Superman!” (Superman; Action Comics #301) • “The Superman-Batman Split!” (Superman and Batman; World’s Finest Comics #176) • “A Tale of 3 Teams (Part II of The Superman-Batman Split)” (Superman and Batman; World’s Finest Comics #176) • “Make Way for Captain Thunder!” (Superman; Superman #276) THE BEST OF DC #17 (Oct. 1981) Featuring: Supergirl Cover artists: George Pérez and Dick Giordano • “The Great Supergirl Mirage!” (Supergirl; Action Comics #256) • “The World’s Greatest Heroine!” (Superman and Supergirl; Action Comics #285) • “The Infinite Monster!” (Supergirl; Action Comics #285) • “Supergirl Goes to College!” (Supergirl; Action Comics #318) • “Crypt of the Frozen Graves” (Supergirl; Adventure Comics #424) • “Trail of the Madman!” (Supergirl; Supergirl #1) • “Go East Young Woman... (Part 1 of “Princess of the Golden Sun!”)” (Supergirl; The Superman Family #165) • “To Lose a Battle... (Part 2 of “Princess of the Golden Sun!”)” (Supergirl; The Superman Family #165) • “...And Win a War! (Part 3 of “Princess of the Golden Sun!”)” (Supergirl; The Superman Family #165) THE BEST OF DC #18 (Nov. 1981) Featuring: New Teen Titans Cover artists: George Pérez and Romeo Tanghal • “Reunion!” (New Teen Titans; original) • “Titans Fit the Battle of Jericho” (Teen Titans; Teen Titans #20) • “Citadel of Fear” (Teen Titans; Teen Titans #21) • “Halfway to Holocaust” (Teen Titans; Teen Titans #22) • “Skis of Death” (Teen Titans; Teen Titans #24) THE BEST OF DC #19 (Dec. 1981) Featuring: Superman-Red and Superman-Blue Cover artists: Ross Andru and Dick Giordano • “The Titanic Twins! (Part I of “The Amazing Story of Superman-Red and Superman-Blue!”)” (Superman; Superman #162) • “The Anti-Evil Ray! (Part II of “The Amazing Story of

Superman-Red and Superman-Blue!”)” (Superman; Superman #162) • “The End of Superman’s Career! (Part III of “The Amazing Story of SupermanRed and Superman-Blue!”)” (Superman; Superman #162) • “The New Superman and Batman Team!” (Superman and Batman; World’s Finest Comics #167) • “The Glowing Death! (Part II of “The New Superman and Batman Team!”)” (Superman and Batman; World’s Finest Comics #167) • “Mr. and Mrs. Clark (Superman) Kent!” (Lois Lane; Superman’s Girl Friend, Lois Lane #19) • “Lois Lane and Superman Newlyweds!” (Lois Lane; Superman’s Girl Friend, Lois Lane #25) • “Lois Lane … Dead … Yet Alive” (Superman; Superman #215) • “The Sorrows of Superman! (Part II of “Lois Lane … Dead … Yet Alive”)” (Superman; Superman #215) • “Superman, 2001!” (Superman; Superman #300) THE BEST OF DC #20 (Jan. 1982) Featuring: World’s Finest Comics Cover artists: Ross Andru and Dick Giordano • “Vengeance of the TombThing!” (Superman and Batman; World’s Finest Comics #202) • “A Matter of Light and Death!” (Superman and Batman; World’s Finest Comics #207) • “Fugitive from the Stars!” (Superman and Batman; World’s Finest Comics #211) • “Peril of the Planet Smashers!” (Superman and Dr. Fate; World’s Finest Comics #208) THE BEST OF DC #21 (Feb. 1982) Featuring: Justice Society of America Cover artist: George Pérez • “The Untold Origin of the Justice Society” (Justice Society of America; DC Special #29) • “The Day That Dropped Out of Time – introduction” (Justice Society of America; All-Star Comics #35) • “The Day That Dropped Out of Time – Chapter 2” (Flash; All-Star Comics #35) • “The Day That Dropped Out of Time – Chapter 3” (Atom; All-Star Comics #35) • “The Day That Dropped Out of Time – Chapter 4” (Hawkman; All-Star Comics #35) • “The Day That Dropped Out of Time – Chapter 5” (Dr. Mid-Nite; All-Star Comics #35) • “The Day That Dropped Out of Time – interlude” (Justice Society of America; All-Star Comics #35) • “The Day That Dropped Out of Time – Chapter 6” (Green Lantern; All-Star Comics #35)

Let’s Get Small Issue

• “The Day That Dropped Out of Time – conclusion” (Justice Society of America; All-Star Comics #35) • “The Big Super-Hero Hunt!” (Starman and Black Canary; The Brave and the Bold #62) THE BEST OF DC #22 (Mar. 1982) Featuring: Christmas with the Super-Heroes Cover artists: Rich Buckler and Dick Giordano • “The TT’s Swingin’ Christmas Carol!” (Teen Titans; Teen Titans #13) • “Merry Christmas” (Batman; Batman #247) • “Freddy Freeman’s Christmas!” (Captain Marvel Jr.; Captain Marvel, Jr. #46) • “A Christmas Peril!” (Batman; Batman #27) • “The Seal Men’s War on Santa Claus” (Sandman; originally scheduled to be published in Sandman #7) • “Robin’s (Very) White Christmas!” (Robin; Batman Family #4) • “The Man Who Murdered Santa Claus!” (Justice League; Justice League of America #110) THE BEST OF DC #23 (Apr. 1982) Featuring: Year’s Best Comics Stories Cover artists: George Pérez and Dick Giordano • “To Kill a Legend” (Batman; Detective Comics #500) • “Sivana’s Nobel!” (Captain Marvel; World’s Finest Comics #273) • “The Dummy” (Sgt. Rock; Sgt. Rock #349) • “A Day in the Lives…” (New Teen Titans; The New Teen Titans #8) • “The Piper at the Gates of Hell” (House of Mystery #288) • “The Haunting” (Jonah Hex; Jonah Hex #53) • “Triumph!” (Green Lantern Corps; Tales of the Green Lantern Corps #3) • “Whatever Happened to the Crimson Avenger?” (Crimson Avenger; DC Comics Presents #38) • “The Pursuit of Joy” (Tales of Gotham City; Detective Comics #507) • “The Dying Day of Lois and Lana!” (Superman; Superman #363) THE BEST OF DC #24 (May 1982) Featuring: Legion of Super-Heroes Cover artist: Ernie Colón • “Murder in Glass (Chapter 1)” (Legion of SuperHeroes; original) • “The Colossal Failure! (Chapter 2)” (Legion of Super-Heroes; Adventure Comics #371) • “School for Super-Villains! (Chapter 3)” (Legion of Super-Heroes; Adventure Comics #372) • “Robbing and Recking and Rotten Tricks! (Chapter 3, Part 2)” (Legion of Super-Heroes; Adventure Comics #372)

•

BACK ISSUE • 61

• “Murder in Glass (Chapter 4)” (Legion of SuperHeroes; original) • “Meet the Legion!” (Legion of Super-Heroes; original) • “Invisible Invader!” (Legion of Super-Heroes; Superboy #176) • “The Ghost of Ferro Lad!” (Legion of Super-Heroes; Adventure Comics #357) •“The Phantom’s Revenge! (Part 2)” (Legion of SuperHeroes; Adventure Comics #357) THE BEST OF DC #25 (June 1982) Featuring: Superman— The Man of Steel and His Favorite Kid-Pals Cover artists: Ross Andru and Frank Giacoia • “The TV Show That Menaced Metropolis!” (Superman; Action Comics #422) • “The Baby Who Walked Through Walls!” (Clark Kent; Superman #254) • “The Girl Who Didn’t Believe in Superman!” (Superman; Superman #96) • “World Beneath the North Pole!” (Superman; Superman #267) • “Superman, You’re Not Clark Kent—and I Can Prove It!” (Superman; Action Comics #457) • “The Story of Superman, Junior” (Superman; Action Comics #232) • “The Kid with the Million Dollar Smile!” (Clark Kent; Superman #285) • “Superman’s Command Performance” (Superman; Action Comics #497) THE BEST OF DC #26 (July 1982) Featuring: The Brave and the Bold Cover artist: Jim Aparo • “Batman Presents the Brave and the Bold” (original) • “You Can’t Hide from a Deadman!” (Batman and Deadman; The Brave and the Bold #86) • “Three Arrows Against Doom!” (Robin Hood; The Brave and the Bold #9) • “Menace of the Mirage People!” (Suicide Squad; The Brave and the Bold #38) • “Threat of the Ice King” (Viking Price; The Brave and the Bold #18) • “Sword in the Lake!” (Silent Knight; The Brave and the Bold #21) • “The Secret Beneath the Earth” (Cave Carson; The Brave and the Bold #31) • “The Incredible Lava Creature [Chapter 2 of “The Secret Beneath the Earth”]” (Cave Carson; The Brave and the Bold #31) • “The Magnetic Monster [Chapter 3 of “The Secret Beneath the Earth”]” (Cave Carson; The Brave and the Bold #31) THE BEST OF DC #27 (Aug. 1982) Featuring: Superman versus Luthor

62 • BACK ISSUE • Let’s Get Small Issue

Cover artists: Ross Andru and Dick Giordano • “The Luthor Nobody Knows!” (Superman; Superman #292) • “Superman’s Super Hold-Up!” (Superman; World’s Finest Comics #59) • “The Most Dangerous Door in the World!” (Superman; Superman #213) • “Success is a Heartbeat Away!” (Part II of “The Most Dangerous Door in the World!”) (Superman; Superman #213) • “The Luthor Story” (original) • “The Death of Luthor!” (Superman; Action Comics #318) • “The Condemned Superman!” (Superman; Action Comics #319) • “Luthor’s Hammer of Hate!” (Superman; Action Comics #423) • “Lex Luthor—Super Scalp Hunter!” (Superman; Superman #282) THE BEST OF DC #28 (Sept. 1982) Featuring: Binky Cover artists: Bob Oksner and Tex Blaisdell • “The Teen-Tour … Play As You Go!” (Binky; Leave It to Binky #70) • “Sightseeing is Believing!” (Binky; Leave It to Binky #70) • “Heap Big End of Trip!” (Binky; Leave It to Binky #70) • “The Scuba Maneuver!” (Binky; Leave It to Binky #75) • “The Sleepwalker” (Binky; Leave It to Binky #72) • “Binky Sets a New Record” (Binky; Leave It to Binky #77) • “Who’s Sorry Now?” (Sugar and Spike; Sugar and Spike #4) • “Reading Comics” (Doodles Duck; Sugar and Spike #75) • “Tennis the Menace!” (Binky; Binky’s Buddies #11) • “Binky’s Secret Admirer!” (Binky; Binky’s Buddies #6) • “How to Play ‘Arrgh!’” (Sugar and Spike; Sugar and Spike #93) THE BEST OF DC #29 (Oct. 1982) Featuring: Sugar and Spike Cover artist: Sheldon Mayer • “Pint-Size Nature Study” (Sugar and Spike; Sugar and Spike #58) • “The New Pull-Toy!” (Sugar and Spike; originally for foreign market) • “The Mystery of the Bouncing Stick” (Sugar and Spike; Sugar and Spike #97) • “Spike Discovers the Ocean!” (Sugar and Spike; Sugar and Spike #3) • “The Flashlight” (Sugar and Spike; Sugar and Spike #97) • “The Present!” (Sugar and Spike; originally for foreign market) • “Spike’s Adventure with the Air-Waves!” (Sugar and Spike; Sugar and Spike #56) • “Lion in the House!” (Sugar and Spike; Sugar and Spike #58) • “The Big Hippo Mystery!” (Sugar and Spike; originally for foreign market)

• “The T.V. Man” (Binky; Leave It to Binky #71) • “Adventure at the Animal Place!” (Sugar and Spike; originally for foreign market) • “Stanley’s Birthday Party” (Stanley and His Monster; inventory story produced for Stanley and His Monster #113) • “How S&S Became a Pair of Christmas Dollies” (Sugar and Spike; Sugar and Spike #56) • “Romance—Half-Pint Style” (Sugar and Spike; Sugar and Spike #92) THE BEST OF DC #30 (Nov. 1982) Featuring: Detective Comics Cover artist: Jim Aparo • “The Stage is Set … for Murder!” (Batman; Detective Comics #425) • “The Assassin-Express Contract!” (Human Target; Action Comics #419) • “The Magical Mystery Mirror” (Elongated Man; Detective Comics #444) • “The Riddle of the Unseen Man!” (Roy Raymond, TV Detective; Detective Comics #201) • “A Burial for Batgirl!” (Robin and Batgirl; Detective Comics #400) • “Midnight Is the Dying Hour!” (Robin and Batgirl; Detective Comics #401) • “The Three Feats of Peril!” (Mysto Magician Detective; Detective Comics #209) • “The Case of the Dead-On Target!” (Jason Bard; Detective Comics #435) • “The Man with 20 Lives” (John Jones, Manhunter from Mars; Detective Comics #227) • “The Ocean Pest!” (Captain Compass; Detective Comics #222) • “Wanted for Murder One, the Batman” (Batman; Batman #225) THE BEST OF DC #31 (Dec. 1982) Featuring: Justice League of America Initiation Issue Cover artist: Gil Kane • “In Each Man There Is a Demon!” (Black Canary; Justice League of America #75) • “Specter in the Shadow!” (Elongated Man; Justice League of America #105) • “Wolf in the Fold!” (Red Tornado; Justice League of America #106) • “Reverse-Spells of Zatanna’s Magic-cigaM” (Zatanna; Justice League of America #161) • “Metamorpho Says No” (Metamorpho; Justice League of America #42 cover only) THE BEST OF DC #32 (Jan. 1983) Featuring: Superman Battles the Mightiest Men in the Universe! Cover artists: Rich Buckler and Frank Giacoia • “Solomon Grundy Wins on Monday!” (Superman; Superman #301) • “Power of the Parasite!” (Superman; Action Comics #340) • “The Ultimate Battle!” (Superman; Superman #242)

• “The Man Who Murdered the Earth!” (Superman; Superman #248) • “Mystery Mission to Metropolis!: [Chapter 1] The Mystery Unravels…” (Superman; Superman #281) • “Mystery Mission to Metropolis!: [Chapter 2] …And the Mission Begins” (Superman; Superman #281) THE BEST OF DC #33 (Feb. 1983) Featuring: Secret Origins of the Legion of Super-Heroes Cover artists: Keith Giffen and Mike DeCarlo • “The Lone Wolf Legionnaire!” (Legion of Super-Heroes; Adventure Comics #327) • “The Youth Who Wasn’t Human! (Part II of “The Lone Wolf Legionnaire”)” (Legion of Super-Heroes; Adventure Comics #327) • “The One Shot Hero!” (Legion of Super-Heroes; Superboy #195) • “Dawnstar Rising” (Legion of Super-Heroes; Superboy and the Legion of SuperHeroes #240) • “Brotherly Hate!” (Legion of Super-Heroes; Superboy #172) • “The Living Key (Part I of “The Trillion-Dollar Trophies”)” (Legion of Super-Heroes; Superboy #221) • “Charma and the ChainMaker (Chapter 2 of “The Trillion-Dollar Trophies”)” (Legion of Super-Heroes; Superboy #221) • “Divided and Conquered (Part 3 of “The Trillion-Dollar Trophies”)” (Legion of SuperHeroes; Superboy #221) • “The Infinite Man Who Conquered the Legion!” (Legion of Super-Heroes; Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes #233) • “The Origins and Powers of the Legionnaires” (Legion of Super-Heroes; All-New Collectors’ Edition #C-55) THE BEST OF DC #34 (Mar. 1983) Featuring: Metal Men Cover artists: Ed Hannigan and Bruce Patterson • “The Flaming Fiend!” (Metal Men; Showcase #37) • “The Nightmare Menace” (Metal Men; Showcase #38) • “The Deathless Doom!” (Metal Men; Showcase #39) • “The Day the Metal Men Melted” (Metal Men; Showcase #40) THE BEST OF DC #35 (Apr. 1983) Featuring: Year’s Best Comics Stories Cover artists: Ed Hannigan and Dick Giordano • “Dear Mom and Dad” (New Teen Titans; The New Teen Titans #20) • “Keep Me Alive!” (Sgt. Rock; Sgt. Rock #361) • “Plastique is Another Word for Fear!” (Firestorm; The Fury of Firestorm #7) • “In the White Room” (Swamp Thing; The Saga of Swamp Thing #4)

• “Haven!” (Batman; Detective Comics #514) • “Old Friends, New Relatives, and Other Corpses!” (Legion of Super-Heroes; Legion of Super-Heroes #286) • “Manhattan Interlude” (I … Vampire; House of Mystery #310) • “When You Wish Upon a Planetoid!” (Superman; DC Comics Presents #50) • “Best Covers of the Year” (Green Lantern #158, The New Teen Titans #16, Blackhawk #253, Captain Carrot and His Amazing Zoo Crew #6, Jonah Hex #57) THE BEST OF DC #36 (May 1983) Featuring: Superman vs. Kryptonite Cover artists: Ed Hannigan and Dick Giordano • “The Curse of Kryptonite!” (Superman; Superman #130) • “The Greatest Pitcher in the World!” (Superman; Superman #77) • “The Untold Story of Red Kryptonite” (Superman; Superman #139) • “The Invasion of the Bizarro World!” (Tales of the Bizarro World; Adventure Comics #290) • “How the Super-Family Came to Earth from Krypton” (Superman; Superman Annual #2) • “The Menace of Gold Kryptonite!” (Superman; Superman #179) • “Superboy in the 50th Century!” (Superboy; Adventure Comics #279) • “The Secret of Kryptonite Six!” (Superman; Action Comics #310) • “The Super-Outlaw of Metropolis” (Superman; Superman #106) • “The Fury of the KryptonianKiller!” (Superman; Superman #195) THE BEST OF DC #37 (June 1983) Featuring: Funny Stuff Cover artist: Sheldon Mayer • “Knights of the Round Table” (Peter Porkchops; Peter Porkchops #12) • “Crystal Ball” (Doodles Duck; Movietown’s Animal Antics #35) • “Out to Launch!” (Three Mouseketeers; The Three Mouseketeers #14) • “Magic Mischief!” (Dodo and the Frog; The Dodo and the Frog #81) • “Mad Hatter” (Dizzy Dog; Movietown’s Animal Antics #37) • “The Hike” (Raccoon Kids; Raccoon Kids #56) • “Ma Nature’s Curiosity Shop” (Three Mouseketeers; The Three Mouseketeers #14) • “Fright-Fully Yours!” (Stanley the Timid Scarecrow; Peter Panda #2) • “Airplane Pain” (Doodles Duck; Comic Cavalcade #62) • “A Very Crooked Story!” (Peter Panda, Peter Panda #11) • “Battling Bed” (Nip and Chip; Hollywood Funny Folks #46)

• “Egg Heads” (Nutsy Squirrel; Hollywood Funny Folks #46) • “Flying Fish” (Bo Bunny; Comic Cavalcade #63) • “The Land of Animathings!” (Goofy Goose; Comic Cavalcade #63) • “Balloon Baloney!” (Dodo and the Frog; The Dodo and the Frog #81) • “Duel” (Dizzy Dog; Comic Cavalcade #63) • “Camp Cru-M-Bee’s Pet Dog … Spot!” (Stanley and His Monster; Stanley and His Monster #110) • “Namedroppers” (Three Mouseketeers; The Three Mouseketeers #14) THE BEST OF DC #38 July 1983) Featuring: Superman vs. the Supernatural Cover artists: Ed Hannigan and Bob Smith • “The Eliminator!” (Superman; Action Comics #379) • “The Truth Mirror!” (Superman; Action Comics #269) • “The Demons from Pandora’s Box!” (Jimmy Olsen; Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #81) • “The Enchanted Mountain!” (Superman; Action Comics #86) • “The Spectre Suitor!” (Lois Lane; Superman’s Girl Friend, Lois Lane #108) • “The Spell of the Shandu Clock” (Superman; Superman #126) • “The Ghost of Lois Lane” (Superman; Superman #129) • “The Black Magic of Supergirl!” (Supergirl; Action Comics #324) • “The Ghost that Haunted Clark Kent” (Superman; Action Comics #406) THE BEST OF DC #39 (Aug. 1983) Featuring: Binky and His Buddies Cover artist: Stan Goldberg • “Lucky Binky!” (Binky; Binky #73) • “A Message to Peggy” (Binky; Binky #73) • “The Near-Sighted Devil!” (Benny; Binky #74) • “Predictions Anyone?” (Binky; Binky #77) • “Tennis Bums!” (Debbi; Date with Debbi #4) • “The Slow Talker!” (Binky; Binky #79) • “Never When You Need One!” (Binky; Binky #79) • “In Spring a Young Man’s Fancy Turns to … Fishing!” (Scooter; Swing with Scooter #18) • “A Picnic Sick-Nik!” (Scooter’s Sister Cynthia; Swing with Scooter #21) • “All in a Day’s Work!” (Binky; Binky #78) • “Weird, Wild, Wheels!” (Scooter; Swing with Scooter #24) • “Take It Off!” (Debbi; Date with Debbi #15) • “Girl Trouble!” (Buzzy; Binky’s Buddies #10) • “Run, Mudder, Run!” (Binky’s Buddies; Binky’s Buddies #9)

THE BEST OF DC #40 (Sept. 1983) Featuring: The Fabulous World of Krypton Cover artists: Rich Buckler and Dick Giordano • “A Name is Born” (World of Krypton; Superman #238) • “Let My People Live!” (World of Krypton; Superman #260) • “Headband Warriors of Krypton!” (World of Krypton; Superman #264) • “The Face on a Falling Star!” (World of Krypton; Superman #266) • “A Tale of Time and Tide!” (World of Krypton; Superman #268) • “The Death-Trails of Krypton!” (World of Krypton; Superman #243) • “The Loneliest Man in the Universe” (World of Krypton; Superman #282) • “All in the Mind!” (World of Krypton; Superman #248) • “The Magic Master of Krypton!” (World of Krypton; Superman #279) • “The Doomsayer!” (World of Krypton; Superman #236) • “Jor-El’s Golden Folly” (World of Krypton; Superman #233) • “Marriage, Kryptonian Style!” (World of Krypton; Superman #246) • “The Princess and the Glass Treeman!” (World of Krypton; Superman #275) • “The Man Who Cheated Time” (World of Krypton; Superman #240) THE BEST OF DC #41 (Oct. 1983) Featuring: Sugar and Spike Cover artist: Sheldon Mayer • “The Truck Driver” (Sugar and Spike; originally for foreign market) • “Two Little Davids Take on One Big Goliath!” (Sugar and Spike; oiginally for foreign market) • “Pint Size Human Flies?” (Sugar and Spike; originally for foreign market) • “The Monster” (Sugar and Spike; originally for foreign market) • “Pillow Pictures” (Sugar and Spike; originally for foreign market) • “Who’s Throwing This Party?” (Sugar and Spike; originally for foreign market) • “The Grown-Up Toy Boat!” (Sugar and Spike; originally for foreign market) • “A Study in Science Friction” (Sugar and Spike; originally for foreign market) • “The Egg!” (Sugar and Spike; originally for foreign market) • “The Day the World Turned Upside-Down!” (Sugar and Spike; originally for foreign market) • “The Crazy Mixed-Up Hamburgers!” (Sugar and Spike; originally for foreign market) • “Something Special” (Sugar and Spike; Sugar and Spike #25)

THE BEST OF DC #42 (Nov. 1983) Featuring: Superman Cover artists: Ross Andru and Dick Giordano • “The Legion of SuperCreatures!” (Superman; Action Comics #326) • “The Midget Menace” (Superman; Superman #102) • “The Thing from 40,000 A.D.!” (Superman; Superman #87) • “The Invulnerable Enemy” (Superman; Action Comics #226) • “The Interplanetary Circus!” (Superman; Superman #145) • “Jimmy Olsen’s Private Monster!” (Jimmy Olsen; Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #43) • “The Creature of 1,000 Disguises” (Superman; Action Comics #234) • “The Super-Human Bomb!” (Superman; Action Comics #342) • “A Doghouse for Superman!” (Superman; Superman #84) THE BEST OF DC #43 (Dec. 1983) Featuring: Funny Stuff (The Best of Funny Animals) Cover artist: Sheldon Mayer • “Roman Around” (Peter Porkchops; Peter Porkchops #15) • “Well, Well” (Flippity and Flop; Flippity and Flop #3) • “Ship A-Hooey!” (Three Mouseketeers; The Three Mouseketeers #20) • “I Get a Kick” (Doodles Duck; Funny Stuff #72) • “Magic Show” (Goofy Goose; Peter Porkchops #15) • “Bird Brain” (J. Rufus Lion; Funny Stuff #65) • “U. F. Foes” (Nutsy Squirrel; Comic Cavalcade #61) • “Hippo My Dreams” (Doodles Duck; Comic Cavalcade #61) • “All At Sea!” (Peter Panda; Peter Panda #7) • “The Ketchup Genie” (Dizzy Dog; The Dodo and the Frog #84) • “Fenimore’s Travels” (Dodo and the Frog; Comic Cavalcade #47) • “Bully Bear” (Bo Bunny; Raccoon Kids #53) • “Tossing the Bull” (Raccoon Kids; Raccoon Kids #60) • “Switch-a-Roo” (Dizzy Dog; Comic Cavalcade #61) • “Patsy the Space Mouse” (Three Mouseketeers; The Three Mouseketeers #22) THE BEST OF DC #44 (Jan. 1984) Featuring: Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes Cover artist: Gil Kane • “The Legion’s Suicide Squad!” (Legion of SuperHeroes; Adventure Comics #319) • “Part II: The Charge of the Substitute Heroes!” (Legion of Super-Heroes; Adventure Comics #319) • “Part I: The Revenge of the Knave from Krypton!” (Legion of Super-Heroes; Adventure Comics #320)

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• “Part II: The Treachery of Molock the Merciless” (Legion of Super-Heroes; Adventure Comics #320) • “Part I: The Code of the Legion!” (Legion of SuperHeroes; Adventure Comics #321) • “Part II: The Weakest Legionnaire” (Legion of Super-Heroes; Adventure Comics #321) • “Lois Lane’s Luckiest Day!” (Lois Lane; Superman’s Girl Friend, Lois Lane #50) • “Part I: The Super-Tests of the Super-Pets!” (Legion of Super-Heroes; Adventure Comics #322) • “Part II: The Pet of a Thousand Faces” (Legion of Super-Heroes; Adventure Comics #322) • “Part I: The Eight Impossible Missions!” (Legion of SuperHeroes; Adventure Comics #323) • “Part II: The Amazing Winner of the Great Proty Puzzle!” (Legion of SuperHeroes; Adventure Comics #323) • “What Kind of Sentient Being Devours Every Issue of The Legion” (Legion of SuperHeroes; DC Sampler #1) THE BEST OF DC #45 (Feb. 1984) Featuring: Binky and His Buddies Cover artist: Stan Goldberg • “The True Beauty!” (Buzzy; Binky #79) • “Paid in Full!” (Binky and His Pal Benny; Binky #79) • “It’s a Small, Small World!” (Debbi; Date with Debbi #15) • “Money, Money, Money!” (Scooter; Swing with Scooter #30) • “Kisses, Kisses, Kisses!” (Binky’s Buddies; Binky’s Buddies #12) • “The Match Maker!” (Scooter’s Buddy Malibu; Swing with Scooter #?) • “Hat’s All Folks!” (Debbi; originally intended for the canceled Date with Debbi #19) • “Kenny’s Fate—is a Date” (originally intended for the canceled Swing with Scooter #37) • “The Football Flop” (Binky; Binky’s Buddies #7) • “Monkey Business!” (Binky’s Buddy Benny; Binky’s Buddies #9) • “Slappy Birthday” (Binky; Binky’s Buddies #8) • “Oh, Those Beautiful Chicks!” (Debbi; Date with Debbi #13) • “The Little Cowboy” (Debbi; Date with Debbi #14) • “The Cat That Stole!” (Penny and Her Cross-Eyed Pussycat!; Swing with Scooter #32) THE BEST OF DC #46 (Mar. 1984) Featuring: Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen Cover artists: Ed Hannigan and Dick Giordano • “The Boy of 100 Faces!” (Jimmy Olsen; Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #1)

• “The Elastic Lad of Metropolis!” (Jimmy Olsen; Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #37) • “The Super-Lad of Space!” (Jimmy Olsen; Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #39) • “Jimmy Olsen, Superman’s Ex-Pal!” (Jimmy Olsen; Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #2) • “The Lone Wolf Legionnaire Reporter!” (Jimmy Olsen; Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #106) • “The Strange Second Life of Jimmy Olsen” (Jimmy Olsen; Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #157) • “Olsen’s Time-Trip to Save Krypton!” (Jimmy Olsen; Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #101) • “Krypton’s Last Chance!” (Jimmy Olsen; Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #101) • “The Winner’s Prize ... the Loser’s Grave!” (Jimmy Olsen; Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #132) THE BEST OF DC #47 (Apr. 1984) Featuring: Sugar and Spike Cover artist: Sheldon Mayer • “Eggs, Sunny Side Down” (Sugar and Spike; Sugar and Spike #88) • “Grown-Up Talk” (Sugar and Spike; Sugar and Spike #52) • “Photo Finish” (Sugar and Spike; Sugar and Spike #2) • “Little Giants” (Sugar and Spike; Sugar and Spike #27) • “Double Trouble” (Sugar and Spike; Sugar and Spike #9) • “How to Play Loozum” (Sugar and Spike; Sugar and Spike #2) • “Runaway Dump-Truck” (Sugar and Spike; Sugar and Spike #89) • “Where’s the Toozit Tree?” (Sugar and Spike; Sugar and Spike #93) • “First Echo” (Sugar and Spike; Sugar and Spike #25) • “Zelda, the Walking Riot” (Sugar and Spike; Sugar and Spike #91) • “Busy Corners” (Sugar and Spike; Sugar and Spike #1) • “What’s a Flumish?” (Sugar and Spike; Sugar and Spike #90) • “My How Time Flies” (Sugar and Spike; Sugar and Spike #94) • “The Experiment” (Sugar and Spike; Sugar and Spike #32) THE BEST OF DC #48 (May 1984) Featuring: Superman TeamUp Action Cover artists: Howard Bender and Dick Giordano • “Wild Week-End in Washington!” (Superman and Batman; Superman #268) • “Beware the Hero-Killers!” (Superman and Green Lantern; Action Comics #444) • “The Fantastic Feats of Captain Strong!” (Superman; Action Comics #421) • “The Mystery Man Who Walked on Air!” (Superman and Elongated Man; Detective Comics #449)

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• “Mission to Mariposa” (Superman, Batman, and Metamorpho; World’s Finest Comics #226) • “The Germ Bomb” (Superman, Batman, and Metamorpho; World’s Finest Comics #226) • “Even Dictators Die” (Superman, Batman, and Metamorpho; World’s Finest Comics #226) • “The Tricks of Metamorpho’s Trade” (Metamorpho; World’s Finest Comics #226) • “The Plot to Kill Black Canary!” (Green Arrow and Black Canary; Action Comics #428) • “Killers Come in All Sizes” (Superman and Batman; World’s Finest Comics #236) THE BEST OF DC #49 (June 1983) Featuring: Funny Stuff (The Best of Funny Animals) Cover artists: Jim Engel and Chuck Fiala • “Brave Deed” (Three Mouseketeers; The Three Mouseketeers #1) • “Space-Dodo Rides Again” (Dodo and the Frog; Funny Stuff #74) • “A Fishy Story!” (Peter Porkchops; Peter Porkchops #24) • “Quiz Club” (Dizzy Dog; Comic Cavalcade #56) • “It’s a Dog’s Life!” (Raccoon Kids; Raccoon Kids #59) • “Scare School Drop-Out” (Stanley the Timid Scarecrow; Peter Panda #29) • “Driving Crazy!” (Doodles Duck; Hollywood Funny Folks #53) • “A Place to Sleep” (Winky and Pinky; Funny Stuff #68) • “The Wishing Bean” (Bo Bunny; Funny Stuff #74) • “Swap Shop” (Dodo and the Frog; Funny Stuff #67) • “Art Smart” (Goofy Goose; Peter Porkchops #24) • “Petty Problem” (Doodles Duck; Comic Cavalcade #60) • “Call to Colors!” (Peter Panda; Peter Panda #17) • “The Time Machine” (Nutsy Squirrel; Hollywood Funny Folks #50) • “See the Big Fight” (Dizzy Dog; Comic Cavalcade #58) • “All Kinds of Spot!” (Stanley and His Monster; Stanley and His Monster #112) • “The Frog War!” (Three Mouseketeers; The Three Mouseketeers #3) THE BEST OF DC #50 (July 1984) Featuring: The Year’s Best Superman Stories Cover artist: Kurt Schaffenberger • “The Once and Future War!” (Superman and OMAC; DC Comics Presents #61) • “The Kid Who Played Superman!” (Superman; Superman #388) • “Luthor Unleashed!” (Superman; Action Comics #544) • “Ambush Bug II” (Superman and Ambush Bug; DC Comics Presents #59)

THE BEST OF DC #51 (Aug. 1984) Featuring: Batman Family Cover artists: Ed Hannigan and Dick Giordano • “A Moon, A Poem, and Batman” (Batman; Batman Family #17) • “Daughter of the Demon” (Batman; Batman #232) • “Ragman Rumble” (Batman; Batman Family #20) • “Surprise! Surprise!” (Commissioner Gordon and Alfred; Batman Family #11) • “Dread Night of the Jaguar” (Man-Bat; Batman Family #12) • “Death Derby at Dawn!” (Batgirl and Robin; Batman Family #13) • “Twilight of the Sunset Gang” (Man-Bat; Batman Family #13) • “Explosive End of the Dynamite Duo!” (Batgirl and Robin; Batman Family #13) • “Inside—Outside—Melting Down the Town!” (Batgirl, Robin, and Man-Bat; Batman Family #13) • “Night of the Reaper” (Batman; Batman #237) THE BEST OF DC #52 (Sept. 1984) Featuring: Year’s Best Comics Stories Cover artists: Paris Cullins and Dick Giordano • “Siege!” (New Teen Titans; The New Teen Titans #35) • “The Death of Blackhawk Island!” (Blackhawk; Blackhawk #258) • “The Birthright” (Amethyst; Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld #1) • “Violet’s Story” (Legion of Super-Heroes; Legion of Super-Heroes #305) • “The Dummy – Part 2” (Sgt. Rock; Sgt. Rock #376) • “Stopover in a Place of Quiet Truths” (Swamp Thing; The Saga of Swamp Thing #16) • “Look to the Mountaintop” (Batman; Detective Comics #533) THE BEST OF DC #53 (Oct. 1984) Featuring: Binky and His Buddies Cover artists: Stan Goldberg • “Real Swinging Advice!” (Binky; Binky #78) • “Muffins Keeps ’Em Moving!” (Debbi; Date with Debbi #14) • “Malibu the Matchmaker” (Scooter; Swing with Scooter #34) • “With This Cruise, You Blow a Fuse!” (Scooter; Swing with Scooter #29) • “Sleep Tight!” (Li’l Leroy; Binky #80) • “Equal Rights!” (Debbi and Mona; Date with Debbi #16) • “Spots and Flowers” (Debbi; Date with Debbi #15) • “Seance is Believing!” (Malibu; Swing with Scooter #28) • “Dress Dilemma!” (Debbi; Date with Debbi #7) • “Chivalry Anyone?” (Binky; Binky #80) • “Meets the Hawk!” (Debbi; Date with Debbi #5)

• “The Exterminator!” (Binky; Binky #78) • “It’s Magic” (Scooter and Sylvester; Swing with Scooter #35) • “Nobody Nose!” (Binky; Binky #78) • “Speak Louder, Please!” (Debbi; Date with Debbi #14) • “No Place for a Hero!” (Scooter; Swing with Scooter #34) THE BEST OF DC #54 (Nov. 1984) Featuring: Superman Battles Weird Villains! Cover artists: Ed Hannigan and Klaus Janson • “Mxyzptlk Spelled Backward is T-R-O-U-B-L-E” (Superman; Superman #335) • “The Sixty Deaths of Solomon Grundy!” (Superman and Swamp Thing; DC Comics Presents #8) • “Gorilla Grodd’s Grandstand Play!” (Superman; Action Comics #424) • “Target of the Toymen!” (Superman; Action Comics #432) • “The Man with the Kryptonite Heart” (Superman; Superman #310) • “Happy New Year … Rest in Peace!” (Superman; Superman #333) THE BEST OF DC #55 (Dec. 1984) Featuring: Funny Stuff (The Best of Funny Animals) Cover artist: Chuck Fiala • “Prehistoric Daze!” (Peter Porkchops; Peter Porkchops #32) • “See Ya Later, Alligator” (Bo Bunny; Peter Porkchops #31) • “Timberrr!” (Stanley the Timid Scarecrow; Peter Panda #12) • “A Visit to Mirrorland!” (Peter Panda; Peter Panda #12) • “Upsa-Daisy!” (Three Mouseketeers; The Three Mouseketeers #15) • “For Goodness ... Snakes” (Nutsy Squirrel; Nutsy Squirrel #?) • “Give Him the Air!” (Fraidy Cat; Nutsy Squirrel #64) • “Crazy—Like a Fox!” (Dizzy Dog; Nutsy Squirrel #65) • “The Artist” (Dodo and the Frog; Comic Cavalcade #52) • “Music! Music!” (Doodles Duck; Comic Cavalcade #49) • “Watermelon Woes!” (Raccoon Kids; Comic Cavalcade #50) • “Paint We Got Fun” (Nutsy Squirrel; Nutsy Squirrel #68) • “Bugle Blues!” (Three Mouseketeers; The Three Mouseketeers #19) • “One for the Book!” (Nutsy Squirrel; Nutsy Squirrel #66) • “A Toothy Problem” (Doodles Duck; Nutsy Squirrel #61) • “Walkie-Talkie” (Blabber Mouse; Comic Cavalcade #52) • “Topsy-Turvy” (Bo Bunny; Comic Cavalcade #53) • “Rufus Rat” (Three Mouseketeers; The Three Mouseketeers #24) • “Revenge is Sweet” (Doodles Duck; Nutsy Squirrel #?) • “Fatsy’s Dilemma” (Three Mouseketeers; The Three Mouseketeers #24)

THE BEST OF DC #56 (Jan. 1985) Featuring: Superman vs. More Aliens! Cover artist: Pat Broderick • “The Island That Invaded the Earth” (Superman; Superman #251) • “The Electronic Ghost of Metropolis” (Superman; Superman #244) • “The Menace Called ‘It’” (Superman; Superman #177) • “The Skyscraper That Screamed for Its Life” (Superman; Superman #262) • “Danger—Monster at Work” (Superman; Superman #246) • “The Fury of the Energy Eater” (Superman; Superman #258) THE BEST OF DC #57 (Feb. 1985) Featuring: Legion of Super-Heroes Cover artist: Pat Broderick • “Part I: The Legion of Super-Outlaws!” (Legion of Super-Heroes; Adventure Comics #324) • “Part II: The Battle of the Super-Teams!” (Legion of Super-Heroes; Adventure Comics #324) • “Part I: Lex Luthor Meets the Legion of Super-Heroes!” (Legion of Super-Heroes; Adventure Comics #325) • “Part II: The SuperVengeance of Lex Luthor!” (Legion of Super-Heroes; Adventure Comics #325) • “Part I: The Revolt of the Girl Legionnaires!” (Legion of Super-Heroes; Adventure Comics #326) • “Part II: The Triumph of the Super-Heroines” (Legion of Super-Heroes; Adventure Comics #326) • “Part I: The Lone Wolf Legionnaire!” (Legion of Super-Heroes; Adventure Comics #327) • “Part II: The Youth Who Wasn’t Human” (Legion of Super-Heroes; Adventure Comics #327) • “Part I: The Lad Who Wrecked the Legion!” (Legion of Super-Heroes; Adventure Comics #328) • “Part II: The Secret of the Legion Rookie?!” (Legion of Super-Heroes; Adventure Comics #328) • “Part I: The Bizarro-Legion!” (Legion of Super-Heroes; Adventure Comics #329) • “Part II: The Mad, Mad, Mad Bizarro-Legion” (Legion of Super-Heroes; Adventure Comics #329) • “The Origin and Powers of the Legion of Super-Heroes” (Legion of Super-Heroes; Superman Annual #4) THE BEST OF DC #58 (Mar. 1985) Featuring: Super Jrs. Holiday Special Cover artist: Vince Squeglia • “The Isle of Forgotten Toys” (Super Jrs.; original) • “Spike’s Big Problem” (Sugar and Spike; Sugar and Spike #95)

• “The Cowboy Santa Claus” (Sugar and Spike; Sugar and Spike #68) • “A New Adventure with the Genius” (Sugar and Spike; Sugar and Spike #51) THE BEST OF DC #59 (Apr. 1985) Featuring: Superman Sagas Cover artist: Klaus Janson • “The Second Coming of Superman!” (Superman; DC Special Series #5) • “The First Coming of Superman!” (Chapter 2 of “The Second Coming of Superman!”) (Superman; DC Special Series #5) • “A God Walks Among Us!” (Chapter 3 of “The Second Coming of Superman!”) (Superman; DC Special Series #5) • “The Fall and Rise of Sonzrr!” (Chapter 4 of “The Second Coming of Superman!”) (Superman; DC Special Series #5) • “The One-Minute of Doom!” (Superman; Superman #150) • “Let My People Grow!” (Superman; Superman #338) • “The Lilliput Problem!” (Chapter 2 of “Let My People Grow!”) (Superman; Superman #338) • “All Creatures Great and Small…!” (Chapter 3 of “Let My People Grow!”) (Superman; Superman #338) THE BEST OF DC #60 (May 1985) Featuring: Plop! Cover artist: Wally Wood • “The Poster Plague!” (Plop!; House of Mystery #202) • “The Gourmet” (Plop!; Plop! #1) • “Depressed Elephant” (Plop!; Plop! #6) • “Wednesday’s Child” (Plop!; Plop! #14) • “The Showdown Sonata” (Plop!; Plop! #6) • “The Last Laugh” (Plop!; Plop! #4) • “The Lawn That Devoured Cleveland” (Plop!; Plop! #7) • “Super Plops” (Plop!; Plop! #3) • “The Killer Kind! or Please Leave My Ants Alone!” (Plop!; Plop! #9) • “The Uninvited Guest!” (Plop!; Plop! #6) • “The Secret Origin of Grooble Man!” (Plop!; Plop! #10) • “Old Butterfly Story” (Plop!; Plop! #17) • “Trick or Treat” (Plop!; House of Mystery #202) • “A Fate Worse Than Death” (Plop!; Plop! #24) • “The Ultimate Weapon” (Plop!; Plop! #19) • “The Ultimate Freedom” (Plop!; Plop! #5) • “Prescription Plops” (Plop!; Plop! #5) • “Switch Ending” (Plop!; Plop! #7) • “Moment of Decision!” (Plop!; Plop! #19) • “What Are Little Ghouls Made of?” (Plop!; Plop! #12) • “The King of the Ring” (Plop!; Plop! #23)

THE BEST OF DC #61 (June 1985) Featuring: Year’s Best Comics Stories Cover artist: Pat Broderick • “The Anatomy Lesson” (Swamp Thing; The Saga of Swamp Thing #21) • “If Superman Didn’t Exist…” (Superman; Action Comics #554) • “Killers Also Smile” (Sgt. Rock; Sgt. Rock #391) • “Guess What’s Coming to Dinner?” (Legion of SuperHeroes; Legion of SuperHeroes #308) • “Final Duties” (Tales of the Green Lantern Corps; Green Lantern #177) • “Viva Nebiros!” (Blue Devil; Blue Devil #5) • “Who is Donna Troy?” (New Teen Titans; The New Teen Titans #38) • “Babe’s Story” (Atari Force; Atari Force #8) THE BEST OF DC #62 (July 1985) Featuring: The Year’s Best Batman Stories Cover artist: Pat Broderick • “…The Player on the Other Side” (Batman; Batman Special #1) • “Down Below” (Batman; Detective Comics #537) • “What Price, the Prize?” (Batman; Batman #372) • “Boxing” (Batman; Detective Comics #539) THE BEST OF DC #63 (Aug. 1985) Featuring: Plop! Cover artist: Wally Wood • “Welcome to the Plop Monster Convention” (Plop!; Plop! #4) • “Love is a Dandy” (Plop!; Plop! #16) • “The Aladdin Frame-Up” (Plop!; Plop! #11) • “A Tale Before Sunrise” (Plop!; Plop! #12) • “A Likely Story” (Plop!; Plop! #8) • “The Collector” (Plop!; House of Mystery #251) • “The Demand” (Plop!; Plop! #2) • “Interlude” (Plop!; Plop! #4) • “A Perfectly Crazy Crime” (Plop!; Plop! #4) • “The Message” (Plop!; Plop! #1) • “The Locked Door of Harkness House” (Plop!; Plop! #14) • “The Man Who Came to Dinner” (Plop!; Plop! #2) • “We’re Always Working for Your Wowweee!” (Plop!; Plop! #8) • “All Wet” (Plop!; Plop! #15) • “Once upon a Swine…” (Plop!; Plop! #3) • “Vampire at the Circus” (Plop!; Plop! #8) • “Bug in the Works” (Plop!; Plop! #?) • “The Escape” (Plop!; Plop! #1) • “The Spell” (Plop!; House of Mystery #207) • “Cain’s Game Room” (Plop!; House of Mystery #?) • “The Temple of Ikka-Ka-Ka” (Plop!; Plop! #9) • “A Rejection from Cain” (Plop!; Plop! #3)

• “The Dirty Thief” (Plop!; Plop! #22) • “Molded in Evil” (Plop!; Plop! #5) • “Interlude” (Plop!; Plop! #4) • “Arms Armstrong” (Plop!; Plop! #1) THE BEST OF DC #64 (Sept. 1985) Featuring: Legion of Super-Heroes Cover artists: Paris Cullins and Bob Smith • “Superboy and the Five Legion Traitors” (Superboy; Superboy #117) • “Part I: The Secret of the Mystery Legionnaire!” (Legion of Super-Heroes; Adventure Comics #330) • “Part II: The Victory of the Evil Legionnaire!” (Legion of Super-Heroes; Adventure Comics #330) • “Part I: The Triumph of the Legion of Super-Villains!” (Legion of Super-Heroes; Adventure Comics #331) • “Part II: The Revolt of the Super-Villains!” (Legion of Super-Heroes; Adventure Comics #331) • “Part I: The Super-Moby Dick of Space!” (Legion of SuperHeroes; Adventure Comics #332) • “Part II: The Cosmic Quest of Lightning Lad!” (Legion of Super-Heroes; Adventure Comics #332) • “Part I: The War Between Krypton and Earth!” (Legion of Super-Heroes; Adventure Comics #333) • “Part II: The Civil War of the Legion” (Legion of SuperHeroes; Adventure Comics #333) • “Part I: The Unknown Legionnaire” (Legion of SuperHeroes; Adventure Comics #334) • “Part II: The Secret of Unknown Boy” (Legion of Super-Heroes; Adventure Comics #334) • “Legion Headquarters” (Legion of Super-Heroes; original) THE BEST OF DC #65 (Oct. 1985) Featuring: Sugar and Spike Cover artist: Sheldon Mayer • “Bernie the Brain” (Sugar and Spike; Sugar and Spike #72) • “Adventure with a Mystery Toy” (Sugar and Spike; Sugar and Spike #37) • “The Rise of Sugar and Spike” (Sugar and Spike; Sugar and Spike #37) • “The Adventure of the WetStuff … the Shiny Thing … and the Sweet-Mush” (Sugar and Spike; Sugar and Spike #41) • “Impossible Adventure” (Sugar and Spike; Sugar and Spike #65) • “The New Hat” (Sugar and Spike; Sugar and Spike #41) • “Adventure with the Wooden Pussy-Cat” (Sugar and Spike; Sugar and Spike #46) • “Sugar’s Greatest Discovery” (Sugar and Spike; Sugar and Spike #46) • “Who Stole Our Ocean?” (Sugar and Spike; Sugar and Spike #47)

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• “Growing Pains” (Sugar and Spike; Sugar and Spike #47) • “Sugar Becomes an Indian Chief” (Sugar and Spike; Sugar and Spike #48) THE BEST OF DC #66 (Nov. 1985) Featuring: Superman TeamUp Action! Cover artist: Dennis Jensen • “Sun-Stroke!” (Superman and the Metal Men; DC Comics Presents #4) • “The Prisoner of the Kryptonite Asteroid!” (Superman and Batman; World’s Finest Comics #246) • “Last Hurrah for a Superman?!” (Superman and Batman; World’s Finest Comics #247) • “To Live in Peace— Nevermore” (Superman and the Legion of Super-Heroes; DC Comics Presents #13 • “Judge, Jury … and No Justice!” (Superman vs. Superboy; DC Comics Presents #14) THE BEST OF DC #67 (Dec. 1985) Featuring: Legion of SuperHeroes Cover artist: Karl Kesel • “Starfinger!” (Legion of Super-Heroes; Adventure Comics #335) • “Part I: The True Identity of Starfinger!” (Legion of Super-Heroes; Adventure Comics #336) • “Part II: The Secret of Starfinger!” (Legion of Super-Heroes; Adventure Comics #336) • “The Insect Queen of Smallville” (Superboy; Superboy #124) • “Part I: The Weddings That Wrecked the Legion” (Legion of Super-Heroes; Adventure Comics #337) • “Part II: The Legionnaire Dropouts!” (Legion of Super-Heroes; Adventure Comics #337) • “The Menace of the Sinister Super-Babies” (Legion of Super-Heroes; Adventure Comics #338) • “The Sacrifice of Kid Psycho” (Superboy; Superboy #125) • “Hunters of the Super-Beasts” (Legion of Super-Heroes; Adventure Comics #339) THE BEST OF DC #68 (Jan. 1986) Featuring: Sugar and Spike Halloween Special Cover artist: Sheldon Mayer • “Sugar and Spike Turn into a Pair of Halloween Cats” (Sugar and Spike; Sugar and Spike #61) • “The Day the Trees Got Sloppy” (Sugar and Spike; Sugar and Spike #37) • “Sugar and Spike Meet a Real Halloween Goblin” (Sugar and Spike; Sugar and Spike #55) • “Sugar and Spike Meet Space Sprout” (Sugar and Spike; Sugar and Spike #40) • “Uncle Charlie’s Talking Pumpkin” (Sugar and Spike; Sugar and Spike #43)

66 • BACK ISSUE • Let’s Get Small Issue

• “Sugar and Spike Get Up in the World” (Sugar and Spike; Sugar and Spike #43) • “Space Sprout Returns” (Sugar and Spike; Sugar and Spike #43) • “Sugar and Spike’s Adventures with the 4000-Year-Old Baby” (Sugar and Spike; Sugar and Spike #48) • “The Shiny Round Roller” (Sugar and Spike; Sugar and Spike #3) • “Sugar and Spike’s Adventure with Real Halloween Magic!” (Sugar and Spike; Sugar and Spike #67) • “Who’s Who” (Sugar and Spike; Sugar and Spike #40) • “How Well Do You Know Your Sugar and Spike BabyTalk?” (Sugar and Spike; Sugar and Spike #64) THE BEST OF DC #69 (Feb. 1986) Featuring: Year’s Best Team Stories Cover artist: Joe Staton • “We Are Gathered Here Today…” (New Teen Titans; Tales of the Teen Titans #50) • “A Thorn Grows in Paradise” (Infinity, Inc.; Infinity, Inc. #13) • “Triangle?” (Legion of SuperHeroes; Tales of the Legion of Super-Heroes #320) • “Who’s Afraid of the Big Red ‘S’?” (Batman and the Outsiders; Batman and the Outsiders #19) THE BEST OF DC #70 (Mar. 1986) Featuring: Binky’s Buddies Cover artist: Stan Goldberg • “The Earth People!” (Binky; Binky #77) • “The Ghost is Clear!” (Scooter; Swing with Scooter #31) • “Not a Very Safe Place to Be!” (Scooter; Swing with Scooter #33) • “Easy Bread” (Binky’s Buddies; Leave It to Binky #71) • “Scrambled Brains!” (Debbi; original) • “The Unbelievers!” (Binky and His Buddies; Binky’s Buddies #11) • “A Hairy Tale!” (Scooter and Sylvester; Swing with Scooter #31) • “Buzzy the Lovable!” (Buzzy; Binky #75) • “Present for a Sassy Kid!” (Scooter; Swing with Scooter #32) • “A Natural Born Foul-Up!” (Binky; Binky #77) • “Vote for Miss Noble!” (Scooter; Swing with Scooter #32) • “Love those Bad Kids!” (Debbi; Date with Debbi #14) • “The Plenty Potent Potion!” (Scooter; Swing with Scooter #33) THE BEST OF DC #71 (Apr. 1986) Featuring: Year’s Best Comics Stories Cover artist: Keith Giffen • “The Day the Earth Died!” (Superman; Superman #408) • “Mogo Doesn’t Socialize” (Tales of the Green Lantern Corps; Green Lantern #188)

• “Trick Trap” (Blue Devil; Blue Devil #8) • “Brief Lives” (Omega Men; The Omega Men #26) • “Rite of Spring” (Swamp Thing; The Saga of Swamp Thing #34) • “The Silent Treatment” (Katana; Batman and the Outsiders #21) • “Bits of (Ambush) Bugginess” (Ambush Bug; Action Comics #565) • “The Ghost of Krypton Past!” (Superman and Adam Strange; DC Comics Presents #82) • “Forever Blowing Bubbles” (Tales of the Green Lantern Corps; Green Lantern #187) • “Just As Night Follows Day…” (Batman; Batman #383) • “Hukka vs. the Bob!” (Atari Force; Atari Force #20) DC SPECIAL BLUE RIBBON DIGEST #1 (Mar.–Apr. 1980) Featuring: Legion of SuperHeroes featuring Superboy Cover artist: Dick Giordano • “The Legion of SuperHeroes” (Superboy; Adventure Comics #247) • “The Rogue Legionnaire” (Legion of Super-Heroes; Adventure Comics #349) • “The Legion of Substitute Heroes” (Legion of SuperHeroes; Adventure Comics #306) • “The Fatal Five” (Legion of Super-Heroes; Adventure Comics #352–353) DC SPECIAL BLUE RIBBON DIGEST #2 (May–June 1980) Featuring: The Flash and His Friends! Cover artists: Ross Andru and Dick Giordano • “Doomward Flight of the Flashes” (Flash; The Flash #173) • “Space Boomerang Trap” (Flash; The Flash #124) • “Robberies by Magic” (Flash; The Flash #149) • “Kid Flash Meets the Elongated Man” (Flash; The Flash #130) • “The One-Man Justice League” (Flash; The Flash #158) • “Captives of the Cosmic Ray” (Flash; The Flash #131) DC SPECIAL BLUE RIBBON DIGEST #3 (July–Aug. 1980) Featuring: Justice Society of America Cover artists: Ross Andru and Dick Giordano • “All-Star Super Squad” (Justice Society of America; All-Star Comics #58) • “Brain Wave Blows Up” (Justice Society of America; All-Star Comics #59) • “The Five Drowned Men Prologue” (Justice Society of America; All-Star Comics #36) • “The Five Drowned Men Chapter 1” (Justice Society of America; All-Star Comics #36) • “The Five Drowned Men Chapter 2” (Justice Society of America; All-Star Comics #36) • “The Five Drowned Men Chapter 3” (Flash; All-Star Comics #36)

• “The Five Drowned Men Chapter 4” (Flash; All-Star Comics #36) • “The Five Drowned Men Chapter 5” (Dr. Mid-Nite; All-Star Comics #36) • “The Five Drowned Men Chapter 6” (Superman; All-Star Comics #36) • “The Five Drowned Men Chapter 7” (Green Lantern; All-Star Comics #36) • “The Five Drowned Men [conclusion]” (Justice Society of America; All-Star Comics #36) • “The Mummy That Time Forgot” (Doctor Fate; 1st Issue Special #9) • “Welcome to Earth-Two” (Justice Society of America; Adventure Comics #461) DC SPECIAL BLUE RIBBON DIGEST #4 (Sept.–Oct. 1980) Featuring: The Secrets of Green Lantern! Cover artist: Dick Giordano • “The Planet of Doomed Men” (Green Lantern; Green Lantern #1) • “The Power Ring That Vanished!” (Green Lantern; Green Lantern #5) • “The Secret Life of Star Sapphire!” (Green Lantern; Green Lantern #16) • “Zero Hour in the Silent City!” (Green Lantern; Green Lantern #12) • “Two Green Lanterns in the Family” (Green Lantern; Green Lantern #53) • “Secret Origin of the Guardians” (Green Lantern; Green Lantern #40) DC SPECIAL BLUE RIBBON DIGEST #5 (Nov.–Dec. 1980) Featuring: Secret Origins of Super-Heroes Cover artists: Ross Andru and Dick Giordano • “The Secret Spell!” (Zatara and Zatanna; original) • “The Origin of the Justice League” (Justice League; Justice League of America #9) • “Unleash the One Who Waits” (Demon; The Demon #1) • “Earth’s First Green Lantern!” (Green Lantern; Green Lantern #16) • “Who Has Been Lying in My Grave” (Deadman; Strange Adventures #205) • “The Origin of Wonder Girl” (Teen Titans; Teen Titans #22) DC SPECIAL BLUE RIBBON DIGEST #6 (Jan.–Feb. 1981) Featuring: Ghosts Cover artist: Nick Cardy • “Death Held the Lantern High” (Ghosts #17) • “The Phantom Hangman” (Ghosts #39) • “The Most Fearful Villain of the Supernatural” (Ghosts #50) • “Death Weaves a Web” (Ghosts #14) • “The Yawning Mouth of Hell” (Ghosts #34) • “The Most Haunted House in England” (Tales of the Haunted and the Damned!; Ghosts #23) • “The Specter Wore a Badge” (Ghosts #44)

• “And the Corpse Cried Murder” (Dr. Thirteen, the Ghost-Breaker; The Phantom Stranger #16) • “The Spirit in the Ring” (Ghosts #45) • “A Phantom in the Alamo” (Ghosts #15) • “Dark Destiny” (Ghosts #26) • “The Eye of Evil” (Ghosts #18) • “The Ghost and General Ike” (Ghosts #21) • “The Specter from the Bog” (Ghosts #19) • “Image in Wax” (Ghosts #16) • “Omen from the Beyond” (Ghosts #22) • “The Death Circle” (Ghosts #11)

• “The Origin of Doctor Fate” (Doctor Fate; More Fun Comics #67) • “The Green Arrow’s First Case” (Green Arrow; Adventure Comics #256) • “The World’s Worst Archer!” (Green Arrow; Adventure Comics #262)

DC SPECIAL BLUE RIBBON DIGEST #7 (Mar. 1981) Featuring: Sgt. Rock’s Prize Battle Tales Cover artist: Joe Kubert • “Four Faces of Sgt. Rock” (Sgt. Rock; Our Army at War #127) • “Burma Sky” (Flying Tigers; Our Fighting Forces #146) • “Target of Terror” (Haunted Tank; G.I. Combat #123) • “Big House of Monsters” (War That Time Forgot; Star Spangled War Stories #132) • “Enemy Ace Meets the Bull” (Enemy Ace; Star Spangled War Stories #141) • “A Sense of Obligation” (Unknown Soldier; Star Spangled War Stories #184)

DC SPECIAL BLUE RIBBON DIGEST #11 (July 1981) Featuring: Justice League of America Cover artists: Ross Andru and Dick Giordano • “The Unknown Soldier of Victory” (Justice League of America; Justice League of America #100) • “The Hand That Shook the World” (Justice League of America; Justice League of America #101) • “…and One of Us Must Die” (Justice League of America; Justice League of America #102) • “The Triumph of the Tornado Tyrant” (Justice League of America; Justice League of America #17)

DC SPECIAL BLUE RIBBON DIGEST #8 (Apr. 1981) Featuring: Legion of Super-Heroes Cover artist: Dick Giordano • “Escape of the Fatal Five” (Legion of Super-Heroes; Adventure Comics #365) • “Fight for the Championship of the Universe” (Legion of Super-Heroes; Adventure Comics #366) • “No Escape from the Circle of Death” (Legion of SuperHeroes; Adventure Comics #367) • “Lost: A Million Miles from Home” (Legion of SuperHeroes; Superboy #202) • “The Fatal Five Who Twisted Time” (Superboy and Legion of Super-Heroes; Superboy #198)

DC SPECIAL BLUE RIBBON DIGEST #12 (Aug. 1981) Featuring: The Haunted Tank Cover artist: Joe Kubert • “Introducing the Haunted Tank” (Haunted Tank; G.I. Combat #87) • “Easy’s First Tiger” (Sgt. Rock; Our Army at War #244) • “Mission: Dead End” (Haunted Tank; G.I. Combat #159) • “Battle Ghost” (Haunted Tank; G.I. Combat #160) • “The Day of the Goth” (Haunted Tank; G.I. Combat #161) • “Another Time, Another Place” (Our Army at War #240) • “The Final Victory” (Haunted Tank; G.I. Combat #162)

DC SPECIAL BLUE RIBBON DIGEST #15 (Nov. 1981) Featuring: Secret Origins of Super-Villains Cover artists: Ross Andru and Dick Giordano • “The Case of the “Real Gone” Flash” (Flash; The Flash #128) • “Chapter I – The Amazing Bizarro” (Superboy; Superboy #68) • “Chapter II – The Runaway Super-Creature” (Superboy; Superboy #68) • “Chapter III – The Battle with Bizarro” (Superboy; Superboy #68) • “The Day 100,000 People Vanished” (Green Lantern; Green Lantern #7) • “The Mad Hatter of Gotham City” (Batman; Detective Comics #230) • “The Slave Ship of Space” (Justice League of America; Justice League of America #3)

DC SPECIAL BLUE RIBBON DIGEST #9 (May 1981) Featuring: Secret Origins of Super-Heroes Cover artists: Ross Andru, Dick Giordano, and Mike DeCarlo • “Birth of the Atom” (Atom; Showcase #34) • “Battle of the Tiny Titans” (Atom; Showcase #34) • “Swamp Thing” (Swamp Thing; House of Secrets #92) • “The Million Dollar Debut of Batgirl” (Batgirl; Detective Comics #359) • “The Kid From Atlantis!” (Aquaman; Adventure Comics #269) • “The Origin of Green Lantern’s Oath!” (Green Lantern; Green Lantern #10) • “The Super-Dog from Krypton!” (Superboy; Adventure Comics #210)

DC SPECIAL BLUE RIBBON DIGEST #13 (Sept. 1981) Featuring: Strange Sports Stories Cover artists: Rich Buckler and Dick Giordano • “The Great Super-Star Game” (DC Heroes; DC Super Stars #10) • “Challenge of the Faceless Five” (Strange Sports Stories #4) • “Man with the Golden Gloves” (Strange Sports Stories #4) • “Volley of Death” (Strange Sports Stories #2) • “A Tall Tale of Ten Pins” (Strange Sports Stories #1) • “Man Who Leaped Over the Earth” (Strange Sports Stories #3) • “Hockey-Mask of Death” (Strange Sports Stories #5)

DC SPECIAL BLUE RIBBON DIGEST #16 (Dec. 1981) Featuring: Green Lantern Cover artists: Neal Adams and Dick Giordano • “Death Be My Destiny!” (Green Lantern/Green Arrow; Green Lantern #81) • “How Do You Fight a Nightmare?” (Green Lantern/ Green Arrow; Green Lantern #82) • “Peril in Plastic” (Green Lantern/Green Arrow; Green Lantern #84) • “The Killing of an Archer” (Green Lantern/Green Arrow; The Flash #217) • “Green Arrow is Dead!” (Green Lantern/Green Arrow; The Flash #218) • “The Fate of an Archer” (Green Lantern/Green Arrow; The Flash #219)

DC SPECIAL BLUE RIBBON DIGEST #10 (June 1981) Featuring: The Warlord: The Complete Deimos Saga Cover artist: Mike Grell Reprinting: 93 pages of Warlord versus his deadliest foe … Deimos, from Warlord #3–7, 10, 15, 19–21

• “Warrior of the Weightless World” (The Brave and the Bold #49) • “Gridiron Knightmare” (Strange Sports Stories #3) DC SPECIAL BLUE RIBBON DIGEST #14 (Oct. 1981) Featuring: U.F.O. Invaders Cover artist: Joe Kubert • “The Battle Between Two Earths” (Strange Adventures #141) • “I Flew a Flying Saucer” (Strange Adventures #46) • “Riddle of the Walking Robots” (Strange Adventures #84) • “Genie in the Flying Saucer” (Strange Adventures #106) • “Warning from Another World” (Strange Adventures #51) • “The Secret of the Flying BuzzSaw” (Strange Adventures #114 • “Flying Saucers That Saved the World” (Strange Adventures #76) • “Earth Hero Number One” (Strange Adventures #148) • “Earth Is the Target” (Mystery in Space #26) • “The Flying Saucer Boomerang” (Strange Adventures #52) • “Flying Saucers Over Mars” (Mystery in Space #45) • “Mechanical Masters of Rann” (Adam Strange; Mystery in Space #65)

DC SPECIAL BLUE RIBBON DIGEST #17 (Jan. 1982) Featuring: The Best of Ghosts and Other Tales of Terror! Cover artist: Joe Kubert • “A Carnival of Dwarfs” (House of Secrets #119) • “Above and Beyond the Call of Duty” (The Witching Hour #8) • “He Who Laughs Last” (House of Mystery #221) • “The Widow’s Walk” (House of Mystery #179) • “A Message from Beyond” (House of Mystery #223) • “The Monster” (House of Secrets #96) • “Nightmare” (House of Mystery #186) • “A Bottle of Incense … A Whiff of the Past!” (House of Secrets #94) • “The Game” (House of Mystery #178) • “Death on Cue” (House of Secrets #127) • “The Symbionts” (House of Secrets #90) • “Born Loser” (House of Secrets #98) • “The Dead Can Kill” (House of Mystery #183) DC SPECIAL BLUE RIBBON DIGEST #18 (Feb. 1982) Featuring: Sgt. Rock Cover artist: Joe Kubert • “Battle Tags for Easy Co.” (Sgt. Rock; Our Army at War #120) • “I Kid You Not” (Sgt. Rock; Our Army at War #238) • “Penny for Jackie Johnson” (Sgt. Rock; Our Army at War #179) • “Head Count” (Sgt. Rock; Our Army at War #233) • “Calling Easy Co.!” (Sgt. Rock; Our Army at War #87) • “Sergeants Aren’t Born” (Sgt. Rock; Showcase #45) DC SPECIAL BLUE RIBBON DIGEST #19 (Mar. 1982) Featuring: The Doom Patrol Cover artists: George Pérez and Frank Giacoia • “The Doom Patrol” (Doom Patrol; My Greatest Adventure #80) • “Chapter 2 – The Challenge of the Timeless Commander” (Doom Patrol; My Greatest Adventure #80) • “Chapter 3 – The Deadly Duel with Gen. Immortus” (Doom Patrol; My Greatest Adventure #80) • “The Brotherhood of Evil” (Doom Patrol; The Doom Patrol #86) • “Mento—The Man Who Split the Doom Patrol” (Doom Patrol; The Doom Patrol #91) • “The Enemy Within the Doom Patrol” (Doom Patrol; My Greatest Adventure #90) DC SPECIAL BLUE RIBBON DIGEST #20 (Apr. 1982) Featuring: Dark Mansions of Forbidden Love Cover artist: Joe Orlando • “To Wed the Devil” (The Sinister House of Secret Love #2) • “Bride of the Falcon” (The Sinister House of Secret Love #3)

Let’s Get Small Issue

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• “Doorway to Nightmare” (originally titled “[Cindy Barns]”) (Madame Xanadu; Doorway to Nightmare #1) DC SPECIAL BLUE RIBBON DIGEST #21 (May 1982) Featuring: War is Hell! Cover artist: Joe Kubert • “Stop the War—I Want to Get Off” (Sgt. Rock; Our Army at War #196) • “Sgt. Rock Special Battle Pin-Up” (Sgt. Rock; Our Army at War #200) • “The Face of War” (Our Fighting Forces #39) • “The Haunted Tank Special Battle Pin-Up” (Haunted Tank; G.I. Combat #133) • “Let Me Live—Let Me Die” (Haunted Tank; G.I. Combat #141) • “Horseless” (Bob Kanigher’s Gallery of War; Our Army at War #269) • “General Stuart Light Tank M3A1” (Battle Album; G.I. Combat #143) • “White Devil … Yellow Devil” (Bob Kanigher’s Gallery of War; Star Spangled War Stories #164) • “Library of Information on Machines” (Battle Album; Our Army at War #200) • “The Fighting Guns of Easy” (Sgt. Rock; Our Army at War #146) • “Reach for the Heavens” (Enemy Ace; Star Spangled War Stories #149) • “My Buddy, the Dinosaur” (War That Time Forgot; Star Spangled War Stories #124) DC SPECIAL BLUE RIBBON DIGEST #22 (June 1982) Featuring: Secret Origins of Super-Heroes Cover artists: Ross Andru and Mike DeCarlo • “SOS Green Lantern” (Green Lantern; Showcase #22) • “Secret of the Flaming Spear!” (Green Lantern; Showcase #22) • “The Coming of the Costumed Incompetents” (Inferior Five; Showcase #62) • “I Was the Man with Animal Powers” (Animal Man; Strange Adventures #180) • “Black Lightning” (Black Lightning; Black Lightning #1) • “And Then There Were None” (Legion of Super-Heroes; Adventure Comics #348) DC SPECIAL BLUE RIBBON DIGEST #23 (July 1982) Featuring: Green Arrow Cover artist: Jim Aparo • “The Green Arrow Scrapbooks” (Green Arrow; original) • “The Unmasked Archers!” (Green Arrow; World’s Finest Comics #98) • “The Case of the Camouflage King!” (Green Arrow; World’s Finest Comics #102) • “The Amazing Miss Arrowette” (Green Arrow; World’s Finest Comics #113) • “The Green Arrows of the World” (Green Arrow; Adventure Comics #250)

68 • BACK ISSUE • Let’s Get Small Issue

• “Mystery of the Giant Arrows” (Green Arrow; Adventure Comics #252) • “Prisoners of Dimension Zero!” (Green Arrow; Adventure Comics #253) • “The Senator’s Been Shot!” (Batman and Green Arrow; The Brave and the Bold #85) • “Green Arrow” (Green Arrow; DC Super Stars #17) • “What Can One Man Do?” (Green Lantern/Green Arrow; Green Lantern #87) • “The Plot to Kill Black Canary” (Green Arrow; Action Comics #428) DC SPECIAL BLUE RIBBON DIGEST #24 (Aug. 1982) Featuring: House of Mystery Cover artist: Joe Kubert • “No Strings Attached” (House of Mystery #191) • “The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of” (House of Secrets #83) • “All in the Family” (House of Mystery #204) • “The Demon Within” (House of Mystery #201) • “Hyde—and Go Seek” (House of Secrets #94) • “Double Take” (The Witching Hour #12) • “The Whole Ball of Tin” (House of Mystery #199) • “Tomorrow I Hang” (House of Mystery #209) • “The House of Endless Years” (House of Secrets #83) • “Countdown” (House of Mystery #195) • “A Girl and Her Dog” (House of Mystery #196) • “Born Loser” (House of Mystery #194) • “Sno’ Fun” (House of Mystery #199) • “Mysteriously Yours—Cain and Gregory” (Limited Collectors’ Edition #C-23) DC SPECIAL SERIES #18 (Fall 1979) Featuring: Sgt. Rock’s Prize Battle Tales Cover artist: Joe Kubert • “Target—Sgt. Rock!” (Sgt. Rock; Our Army at War #124) • “The Big Marker!” (Our Army at War #76) • “Broomstick Pilot!” (Our Army at War #69) • “Who Is Haunting the Haunted Chateau?” (Weird War Tales #10) • “Jackpot Target!” (Our Fighting Forces #40) • “War Bluff!” (Blackhawk #167) • “Tanks” (Battle Album; G.I. Combat #151) • “3 Graves to Home!” (Enemy Ace; Star Spangled War Stories #150) • “Patrol to Nowhere!” (Our Army at War #79) • “Deliver: One Tank!” (Our Army at War #63) • “Frogman Fury!” (Our Army at War #102) • “Appointment in Prague” (Unknown Soldier; Star Spangled War Stories #171) DC SPECIAL SERIES #19 (Fall 1979) Featuring: Secret Origins of Super-Heroes Cover artists: Ross Andru and Dick Giordano

• “The Secret Origin of Wonder Woman” (Wonder Woman; original, based on story in Wonder Woman #237) • “The Gods of the Amazons” (Wonder Woman; Wonder Woman #105) • “The Origin of the Superman-Batman Team” (Superman and Batman; World’s Finest Comics #94) • “The Mystery of the Elongated Man!” (Flash and Elongated Man; The Flash #112) • “How Aquaman Got His Powers!” (Aquaman; Adventure Comics #260) • “Brotherly Hate” (Legion of Super-Heroes; Superboy #172) • “The Masked Marauders of Earth!” (Hawkman; The Brave and the Bold #43) • “The Origin of Robin” (Batman and Robin; Batman #213) • “The Supergirl from Krypton!” (Supergirl; Action Comics #252) DC SPECIAL SERIES #23 (Feb. 1981) Featuring: World’s Finest Comics Cover artists: Ross Andru and Dick Giordano • “The Composite Superman” (Superman and Batman; World’s Finest Comics #142) • “The Battle Between Titans” (Superman and Batman; World’s Finest Comics #142) • “The Menace of the Mechanical Octopus” (Green Arrow; World’s Finest Comics #97) • “The Day Aquaman Lost His Powers” (Aquaman; World’s Finest Comics #137) • “The Has-Been Superman” (Superman and Batman; World’s Finest Comics #178) • “Exit Superman—Enter Nova” (Superman and Batman; World’s Finest Comics #178) • “Superman’s Perfect Crime” (Superman and Batman; World’s Finest Comics #180) • “Socrates Seeks a Secret” (Superman and Batman; World’s Finest Comics #180) DC SPECIAL SERIES #24 (Feb. 1981) Featuring: The Flash and His Friends! Cover artists: Ross Andru and Dick Giordano • “The Pied Piper’s Double Doom!” (Flash; The Flash #138) • “The See-Nothing Spells of Abra Kadabra!” (Flash; The Flash #170) • “Trail of the False Green Lanterns!” (Flash; The Flash #143) • “3 Powerful Puzzlers!” (Flash; The Flash #2) JONAH HEX AND OTHER WESTERN TALES #1 (Sept.–Oct. 1979) Featuring: Jonah Hex Cover artist: Luis Dominguez • “The Hundred Dollar Deal” (Jonah Hex; All-Star Western #11)

• “Night of the Living Dead” (El Diablo; Weird Western Tales #13) • “The Point Pyrrhus Massacre” (Jonah Hex; Weird Western Tales #23) • “Bullet for a Gambler!” (Billy the Kid; All-Star Western #7) • “The Origin of Scalphunter” (Scalphunter; Weird Western Tales #39) • “The Point Pyrrhus Aftermath” (Jonah Hex; Weird Western Tales #24) • “Notebook of a Gunfighter” (Jonah Hex; original) JONAH HEX AND OTHER WESTERN TALES #2 (Nov.–Dec. 1979) Featuring: Jonah Hex Cover artist: Luis Dominguez • “Blood Brothers” (Jonah Hex; Weird Western Tales #20) • “Billy the Kid … Killer” (Billy the Kid; All-Star Western #6) • “Never Kill a Demon” (El Diablo; Weird Western Tales #15) • “Grasshopper Courage” (Jonah Hex; Weird Western Tales #16) • “The Mark of a Warrior” (Scalphunter; Weird Western Tales #40) • “Anachronism” (Weird Western Tales #14) • “Promise to a Princess!” (Jonah Hex; Weird Western Tales #12) • “The Old West—Fiction vs. Fact” (original) JONAH HEX AND OTHER WESTERN TALES #3 (Jan.–Feb. 1980) Featuring: Jonah Hex Cover artist: Luis Dominguez • “Killers Die Alone” (Jonah Hex; Weird Western Tales #14) • “Turnabout” (Weird Western Tales #20) • “Draw Death” (Outlaw; All-Star Western #2) • “Face-Off with the Gallagher Boys” (Jonah Hex; Weird Western Tales #26) • “Town Tamer” (Wild Bill Hickok; All-Star Western #6) • “The Black Seer of Death Canyon!” (Scalphunter; Weird Western Tales #41) • “Night of the Snake” (All-Star Western #6) • “The Hangin’ Woman” (Jonah Hex; Weird Western Tales #17) • “Frontier Justice” (original) TARZAN DIGEST #1 (1972) Featuring: Tarzan Cover artist: Joe Kubert • “Tarzan and the Rite of the Great Apes” (Tarzan Sunday strip reprints; 12/1/68–1/5/69) • “Tarzan and the Ant Men” (Tarzan Sunday strip reprints; 1/14/68–5/19/68) • “The Attack of the Beast Men” (Tarzan Sunday strip reprints; 5/19/68–12/1/68) • “Ape-English Dictionary” (original) • “Tarzan’s Jungle Lore (original)

Andy Mangels

TM & © DC Comics.

“What do you call a bunch of costumed kids with the powers and abilities of their favorite heroes? The Super Jrs., of course! There’s only one word to describe these magically transformed kids— adorable!” That was the opening description for the 1982 DC Style Guide, providing licensors art and materials for use in their products. There is, however, another word that describes the Super Jrs.: “mysterious.” Because even though dozens of items exist under the brand name, the evolution— and continued reinvention—of the concept remains a mystery. Until now… Child versions of heroic characters are as old as the myth of Hercules strangling snakes in his crib, but preteen superhero sidekicks became the rage in the World War II-era comics where Robin, the Young Allies, Little Boy Blue and the Blue Boys, SuperSnipe, and DareDevil’s Young Rascals appeared in dozens of comics and allowed young readers wish-fulfillment characters that were their own ages. But toddler and baby versions of the characters were a bit slower to gestate (though Little Archie appeared in his own comic from July 1956 to February 1983). The first major hero to have a toddler version of himself was Superman, as the first story showing a young, costume-clad child that came to be known as “Superbaby” debuted in his own story in Superboy #8 (May–June 1950), in which Jonathan and Martha Kent uttered a variation on a familiar cry: “It’s a fire siren! No, it’s a steam-whistle! No, it’s our Super-Baby!” Superbaby appeared regularly in several of the Super-titles, and proved popular enough to garner his own 80-Page Giant special in Superman #212 (Dec.–Jan. 1968)! On at least one other occasion, Superman even exposed himself to red kryptonite, purposely turning himself into a toddler to fight crime. Sheldon Mayer’s toddler characters Sugar and Spike had their own series from mid-1956 to late 1971, and in the back of almost every issue, the creator featured paper-doll costume designs for his lead characters and their friends. Given the crossover audience, it’s no surprise that Wonder Baby and Bat-Baby costumes appeared in Sugar and Spike #16 (June 1958), with Batman repeating in #70 (Apr.–May 1967), Wonder Woman and Hawkman in #91 (Aug.–Sept. 1970), and Wonder Woman and Robin in #93 (Dec. 1970–Jan. 1971). DC’s leading heroine became the next preschool crimefighter in Wonder Woman #122 (May 1961), when Robert Kanigher introduced the regrettable Wonder Tot to the canon, working the character through multiple stories over the next six years. DC’s second-mostpopular male hero rarely appeared as a child—largely because his entire raison d’être was that his parents were killed when he was young—but Batman was reduced to preschool age in Batman #147 (May 1962) in “Batman Becomes Bat-Baby.” The December 1976 issue of Action Comics #466 featured a story in which Lex Luthor causes Let’s Get Small Issue

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Batman, the Flash, and Superman to revert to grade-school versions of themselves. What readers wouldn’t know was that behind the scenes, someone was actually planning on turning all of DC’s heroes into infants!

BIRTH OF THE SUPER BABIES In 1976, comic readers were shocked—and likely a bit dismayed—to see full-page ad for DC superhero merchandise that included “Super Baby Rag Dolls.” Seated in the art (drawn by students of the Joe Kubert School) were Bat-Mite, Wonder Baby, SuperBaby, and Mini-Marvel (Shazam!). The word balloons beneath them said: “You’ve heard of the Super Friends and Teen Titans—well, we’re the ‘Baby Brigade!’ We’re the cutest most adorable babies—ever assembled (and you don’t have to change us)! IF YOU DON’T BUY US—WE’LL CRY!” The Super Babies were a new product from Amsco, a division of Milton Bradley. Each doll was approximately 7" tall and featured a double-layer bean-bag body filled with plastic pellets, a large vinyl head, rooted hair, and a cloth costume that was largely faithful to the comic counterparts (though Super Baby was blond, Bat-Mite was strawberry blond, and Mini-Marvel was a fiery redhead). Amsco also offered two Marvel Comics babies in the assortment— Cap America and Spider-Boy—though they were not advertised in DC Comics. Instead, if one got the SuperHero Catalogue from New Jersey’s SuperHero Enterprises, they would see all six characters with slightly different artwork, in which Mini-Marvel was instead called “Lil’ [sic] Shazam.” That ad promised that “They’re so cute, they make Donny and Marie Osmond seem like Alice Cooper!” The Amsco line wasn’t continued, but the line was also released in 1976 in Mexico by Plastimarx, where the group was called “Super Bebes” and was given much cooler box art. Although these dolls were essentially the same as the Amsco dolls, they had minor differences. For instance, Superman had red gloves and WW had no shirt, and chest decals were slightly different for most.

THE COMING OF THE SUPER JRS.

Who’s Your Baby? Super Baby/Baby Brigade advertisements. The top two illustrated ads were produced by Kubert School students for SuperHero Enterprises ads. Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Shazam! TM & © DC Comics. Spider-Man and Captain America TM & © Marvel Characters, Inc.

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In materials copyrighted 1977 to DC Comics Inc., the Licensing Corporation of America (LCA), DC’s licensing arm, introduced “Super Jrs.” to the toy and licensing world. The art, by an unsigned artist, depicted toddler versions of Justice League members Superman, Batman, Robin, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Flash, Green Lantern, and Hawkman. Each featured pudgy bodies, oversized heads, and improbably cute eyelashes, along with true-to-design character costumes. The Super Jrs. began appearing in late 1977 and throughout 1978 on materials ranging from reflective bike “dingles” to Protecto’s figural squeaky toys to a variety of fabrics, sleeping bags, shoes, sandals, bedding, and infant clothing. In 1979, the lines expanded, as Larami Corp. introduced a line of Super Jrs. Flash Cards, and multiple styles of wallpaper were also offered to consumers. In 1979, the Italian company Furga released three “Super Baby” dolls: Superman Jr., Batman Jr., and SpiderMan Jr. The 5" vinyl figures were jointed at the shoulders, waists, crotch, and neck, and featured cloth costumes. The following year (1980), another Italian company, Galba (a division of Baravelli), released a line of 8" vinyl toys called “SuperEroi Jr.” The dolls were similar to the Furga line, but were all vinyl and featured the exact same bodies and removable boots (only the head sculpts and belts were

South of the Border Front and back covers to the Mexican one-shot, The Super Jrs. Special Edition—or Los Super-Juniors Edicion Especial. And yes, that’s a pint-sized Weather Wizard! TM & © DC Comics.

different). Four figures were released—Superman, Batman, Supergirl, Australian version and a much-altered page 2. Much of the narration for and Flash—though the back of the package showed Super Jrs. art for the story was told in verse, and the reader is immediately introduced Robin, Hawkman, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, and Green Arrow. to the inhabitants of the Isle of Forgotten Toys. The sad toys are bitter Oddly, at no time in the heyday of Super Jrs. licensing were any about Christmas because they’ve all been discarded by their owners and actual Super Jrs. comic books published! But that didn’t mean that the replaced by new toys (paging Toy Story?). First picketing, then plotting powered-up preschoolers weren’t preparing for a comic-book debut… to end Christmas, they enlist the help of Wallace Van Wealthy III, “the Around 1980, Grupo Editorial Vid in Mexico published Los Super meanest boy in the whole world!” Wallace has been left at Miss Piffle’s Juniors Edicion Especial, a Mexican comic. The Christmas-themed Nursery School because his parents are out getting rich, and story was “The Isle of Forgotten Toys,” and it found a quintet he torments the five orphans who live there. of children changed into junior DC superheroes. Oddly, The five tots are artistic Rembrandt, pig-tailed DeeDee, Superman Jr. was portrayed as blond, and Flash Jr. was strong Casey, brooding Carlos, and a short boy only portrayed as African-American. No credits were given called “the Shrimp.” After Wallace pulls a mean trick on for the creators of the comic, so it was unknown if it the others, he’s pulled through a dimensional portal was created by a Mexican team or an American team. to the Isle of Forgotten Toys, where he schemes with The Mexican comic was published in an Englishthem to end Christmas by destroying December and language version in 1984, though in an altered form. replacing it with the warm month of “Walluary,” The magazine-sized Super Juniors Super Special was thanks to his new powers as “Wally the Weather released by Australia’s Federal Publishing Company. Wizard, Master of Mischief.” At the North Pole, a sad It swapped the front and back covers from the Santa Claus prays to the Spirit of Christmas to Mexican version and removed the figure of Santa help save the holiday, and the star atop his tree Claus from the cover image. The story was edited dispatches itself to Miss Piffle’s, appearing to the nicola cuti as well, down to 64 pages, and the coloring was children as a chubby fairy godmother. Courtesy of Brian K. Morris. completely redone … as painted color! She transforms the kids into their favorite The week of December 6th, 1984, DC published the 100-page superheroes—Casey is Super-Kid, DeeDee is Wonder Tot, Rembrandt The Best of DC #58, a “Blue Ribbon Digest” that was subtitled “Super is Flash-Kid, and Carlos and the Shrimp are Bat-Guy and Kid-Robin— Jrs. Holiday Special.” Nicola Cuti edited the comic, which featured a and they all fly off to stop Weather Wizard and save Christmas. On their 68-page version (labeled on the cover as 64 pages) of “The Isle of quest, the Super Jrs. encounter a giant malevolent snowman, the Forgotten Toys,” as well as various reprinted Sugar and Spike stories. chocolate lava of Candyland, the warring factions of Calendarland, the The digest featured multiple changes from the other two versions. color-stealing minions of the Land of Grey, and the bondage dungeon On the covers, Wonder Woman Jr. was shown with her “WW” logo of the Isle itself (guess which heroine gets put in bondage?). Will the bodice (as changed in DC Comics Presents #41, Jan. 1982—see BACK Super Jrs. be able to defeat Wallace and save Christmas? ISSUE #57 for more details). Additionally, on the cover, the Flash Jr. was As the story ends, a caption asks: “The Super Jrs. must now bid all shown as Caucasian, whereas in the interiors, he was African American a farewell! When will you see them again? One cannot tell!” (the skin-color switch also happens within the comic once the costume Today, Nick Cuti recalls that, “While I was the editor of the digests is in place!). Superman Jr. was redrawn throughout the issue to have at DC Comics, I was always looking for new material for the digest his more traditional blue-black hair, and the coloring was completely series and I ran across this Super Jrs. [story] in a black-and-white booklet. redone as flat coloring for the digest’s newsprint pages. I asked Paul Levitz, business manager/vice president of DC Comics, The translation of the story was also different than the Australian if I could run it as a holiday special in the digests, and he gave it the version, though it was similar in most spots. The digest version featured thumbs up.” Cuti remembers little else about the story, and can shed chapter pages for 1, 14, 19, and 26 that were missing from the no light on who actually wrote or drew the tale. Let’s Get Small Issue

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Checking with Paul Levitz reveals a few more details about the origins of Super Jrs., but few concrete facts. “My memory is Super Jrs. were cobbled together from several sources,” he says. “I think Sol Harrison had Shelly Mayer develop a version of the heroes as babies, and then later on Vince [Squeglia] developed his look for the characters. I’ve forgotten where Jerry [Grandenetti] came in, possibly penciling the story[ies] that Vince finished.” Indeed, Vince Squeglia produced the new cover art for the digest. It would be the New York artist’s only credited work for DC Comics. However, it initially seemed that Squeglia’s involvement may have predated this specific story. US copyright records show five registered concepts from 1978 done by Squeglia and DC creator Charles Jerry Grandenetti for “Super Squirt” (“Child with arms at sides & wearing sash around chest”), “Tiny Might” (“Child wearing shirt with letters”), “Sky Guy” (“Child wearing fanciful clothes”) and “Mascot” (“Dog with ears in extended position”) who are a part of a group known as “Super Tots” (“world’s smallest heroes”). Whether or not Squeglia and Grandenetti were thus involved in the origins of Super Jrs. was something the comic universe might never have confirmed. Sol Harrison died in 1989, Grandenetti passed in 1990, and Sheldon Mayer died in 1991. If records are correct, it appears that Squeglia passed away in 2005. Checking further, even DC’s famed “Answer Man,” Bob Rozakis, had no ideas. With Cuti and Levitz remembering only the small amount of info previous, as this article was mostly finished, the mystery of the Super Jrs. appeared to be resigned to stay an enigma. But then, on one last fact-finding search, your author searched out old fanzines such as The Comic Reader and Amazing Heroes for any “Hail Mary” gleaning of additional information. And there it was: According to a “Coming Distractions” listing in Amazing Heroes #59 (Nov. 15, 1984), the script for the Super Jrs. story was by Tom DeFalco, with interior art by Squeglia and Grandenetti!

THE TRUE ORIGINS OF THE SUPER JRS. REVEALED! By email, DeFalco confirms the listing. “I did write the Super Jrs. story and will be happy to answer your questions … if I can actually remember the answers.” Those who know DeFalco mostly as a Marvel writer/ editor in the 1970s–1980s are missing his earliest work. His professional debut may have been in Archie Comics’ Laugh #238 (Jan. 1971), but it’s tough to tell for certain as Archie didn’t credit creative teams at that time. “I started working for Archie and eventually started doing writing for Charlton, too,” he says, on series in 1975–1976 such as Yogi Bear; Scooby Doo, Where Are You?; and Wheelie and the Chopper Bunch. paul levitz “I was still writing for Archie while writing for DC and Marvel. I think Super Jrs. was the first thing I did for DC, and, because Joe and Paul seemed to like it, it led to other DC work. My DC work predated my Marvel work.” As for the Super Jrs. concept, DeFalco notes that, “I don’t know who created the project, but I developed it. Joe Orlando showed me some concept drawings for the tots. I had done some commercial work with Joe and Paul Levitz. They were aware of my work at Archie Comics and said that DC wanted to do some humor/teen/young kids material. I pitched a few ideas, but none of them took. I guess they just thought of me when they were assigned Super Jrs.” The art which DeFalco first saw was indeed by Squeglia and Grandenetti. “They were already attached to the art end of the project when Orlando brought me in. Joe gave me copies of the Super Jrs.

Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff Two Super Jrs. pages from the digest The Best of DC #58 (Mar. 1985)—including good, old-fashioned WW bondage, baby-style! By DeFalco/Grandenetti/Squeglia. TM & © DC Comics.

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characters and told me to come up with a basic idea difficult for myself.” He also agrees that the story had a for the series. I went home and decided that the kids strong Sheldon Mayer vibe to it, especially in some of the should have superpowers and worked out the how, sound effects, which are reminiscent of those made by when, and why of their group dynamic as well as their the tots in Sugar and Spike. “I was, and still am, a big fan individual personalities. The original idea was that the of Mayer’s work and probably read some Sugar and Spike kids just dressed up as their favorite heroes and went to get me into the mood while I was writing the Super on adventures—sort of like Sugar and Spike. I suggested Jrs.” As to any story inspirations from the 1964 Rudolph we give the kids actual powers and proposed the origin the Red-Nosed Reindeer stop-motion TV special and its story that eventually appeared in print. “Island of Misfit Toys,” or the much later story similarities “I brought my ideas back to Joe and Paul, who made in Pixar’s first Toy Story film in 1995, DeFalco jokes that, their suggestions, which I no longer recall. I just remember “I’ve never seen the Rudolph “Island of Misfit Toys” thing that it was always a pleasure to work with those guys. and I doubt the Toy Story people ever saw my Super Jrs. They always had concrete suggestions and interesting story. Great—and not so great—minds often think alike.” questions. We eventually came to a meeting of the minds Solving another mystery, DeFalco notes that it and I wrote the basic bible that outlined the characters, was indeed Vince Squeglia and Jerry Grandenetti who the idea behind the ‘series,’ and the plot for the comic.” produced the story’s art. “Jerry did the layouts and the Thanks to a new revelation by DeFalco, the inks. Vinnie did the finished pencils.” timing of the Super Jrs. project is given a So, was “Isle” meant as the first of many near-definite date. “The Super Jrs. was Super Jrs. comics to come, or was it always originally produced for one of those meant to be a one-shot? DeFalco reveals giant-sized comics that were produced that it was intended to be “the first of in the 1970s. They measured about many,” but those plans were derailed 10" wide and 13 1/2" tall. Both DC by the treasury line’s cancellation. and Marvel did a bunch of them.” “They discussed publishing the story As fans know (and as covered in BACK as a regular comic, but then decided ISSUE #61), these were the treasury to put the Super Jrs. on the shelf while editions. DC’s began officially with the first issue of Limited Collector’s Edition in late October 1972, featuring all-new stories for Rudolph the Red-Nosed tom defalco Reindeer. More Rudolph treasuries followed, in 1973, 1974, 1975, and © Luigi Novi/Wikimedia Commons. 1976. For Christmas 1977’s final Rudolph Christmas special, the series title changed to All-New Collector’s Edition, though Rudolph did have one final outing, in May 1978’s All-New Collectors’ Edition #C-60’s Rudolph’s Summer Fun. “DC had done a few Christmas specials starring Rudolph,” says DeFalco, “and the Super Jrs. was supposed to be another one of those specials. That’s why I did a Christmas story.” Given that Super Jrs. was DeFalco’s first work for DC, and his second story ran in Young Love #126 (July 1977), it can thus be posited that the Super Jrs. project was commissioned in early 1977 for an October 1977 release alongside the final Rudolph Christmas treasury, a slot previously held for the Christmas with the Super-Heroes treasuries. “Anyway, by the time we finished the special,” says DeFalco, “DC had gotten sales reports on their last batch of those giant-sized comics and decided to kill the format.” With the timeline thus figured out, DeFalco explains a bit further about the development of the characters. He says that he never saw any art given to licensors, and “never knew that there were any Super Jrs. toys.” He also doesn’t recall any of the other Super Jrs. characters developed for licensing (Green Lantern, Green Arrow, Aquaman, Hawkman, and Supergirl). “Never even knew they existed until now.” As for the character’s secret identities and backstories, he notes that, “I came up with all the names,” but can’t recall any particular reasoning behind the decision to make Flash-Kid an African-American child. Ironically, had Super Jrs. been published on schedule, it would have been one of DC’s first African-American superheroes, coming very shortly after the debut of Tony Isabella’s Black Lightning and Mal Duncan’s superheroic turn in Teen Titans. The decision to tell the story partially in verse was one that DeFalco jokes about today: “It seemed like a good idea at the time and I have a tendency to make life

Let’s Get Small Issue

Stocking Stuffers Vince Squeglia’s back cover to The Best of DC #58, featuring the Super Jrs. and unofficial DC Universe character Santa Claus (between Rudolph and random DC stories, St. Nick scored a lot of comics appearances). TM & © DC Comics.

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ridiculous! To be honest, I never really looked at the digest after I got a copy.” The missing credits question on all three published versions still hangs in the air, but DeFalco refutes that the omission had anything to do with his multi-company output. “I doubt it had anything to do with me working for Marvel. If I were to hazard a guess—and this is only a guess—I would assume that [Joe] Orlando planned to put the credits on the inside of the special … but, after all the years that passed, people just forgot who worked on the story and no one told the digest editor about us.” DeFalco is able to shed a little light on the copyrighted “Super Tots” concept. “After DC decided that they weren’t going to publish the Super Jrs., Jerry [Grandenetti] was so into the project that he couldn’t let it go and decided to come up with his own superpowered kids. He even tried to get [Vince] Squeglia and me back together to work on this new project, but I had already moved on and I don’t know what Vinnie decided.” One final mystery about the Super Jrs. story is solved by DeFalco in this amusing anecdote: “As an Archie guy, I mainly wrote 5- and 6-page stories, with an occasional 11-pager. At 68 pages, the Super Jrs. was the longest comic I had ever written to date. When I finished the script, I typed *30* at the bottom to indicate that the script was finished, and below that I typed ‘THANK GOODNESS!,’ which was just me being happy the job was over. For some reason, the letterer included the ‘THANK GOODNESS!’ on the bottom of the last page—a mistake I quickly pointed out to Joe Orlando when I saw the art. But, as you know, it was never deleted. Ahhhh, comics!”

WHO ARE THE SUPERKIDS?

Random Outing Yet another version of a youthful JLA, as seen on this cover to the 1982 Random House book, The SuperKids and the Singing Dog. Art by Joe Mathieu. TM & © DC Comics.

they tried to sell it as a cartoon series and as a daily comic strip. I was invited to a number of pitch meetings with cartoon producers and comic-strip editors, but nothing ever happened in those areas. To my knowledge, the Mexican book was the first time the Super Jrs. saw print.” Speaking of the Mexican edition, DeFalco can’t shed any light on who did the translations or made the odd coloring choices in either it or the Australian version, nor why the Australian version had pages cut. “I assume that the Australian one was cut. I have no idea why DC wanted a 68-page book—64 pages makes better sense—but it probably had something to do with the giant-sized format we were originally going to use. Maybe they planned to include some Rudolph or Sugar and Spike material.” As for the eventual 1984 DC digest version, DeFalco notes that it was “ironic, since it was originally intended for a size quite larger than that! I didn’t know anything about it until I stumbled across it. I was working for Marvel in 1984 and I don’t think DC even sent me comp copies.” He isn’t sure why color changes were made to Flash-Kid—he’s African American as a normal child, but when he changed to Flash Jr., he’s colored as Caucasian—and calls the decision “totally

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Post–development of the Super Jrs. but prior to their actual US comic-book debut, another group of superpowered preteens was created and put into play. These were “The SuperKids,” who made their first appearance in a 1982 Random House hardcover kid’s book title The SuperKids and the Singing Dog. The book, written by Cindy West and illustrated by famed Sesame Street artist Joe Mathieu, featured a group of youngsters who liked to cosplay as their favorite superheroes: siblings Sam and Dinnie Andrews were Superman and Wonder Woman, brothers Charles and Boyd Platt were a chubby Batman and trim Robin, and fleet-footed African-American Avery Parks was the Flash. One summer day in Carsonville, the kids have a chance meeting with musician Huckleberry Jam, who’s in town to do a concert. Unfortunately, Huck’s dog, Chocolate, who provided barks on his latest hit song, jumped out of the car blocks away, and Huck asks the kids to help him find Chocolate. The kids don their superhero costumes and set out to find the dog, encountering misadventures along the way, including a mysterious lookalike dog! Will they find Chocolate in time for the concert? Paul Levitz recalls today that DC publisher Jenette Kahn was partial to the SuperKids concept, and may have shepherded it moreso than the Super Jrs. “I think part of the [Super Jrs.] project’s doom was getting caught between Sol [Harrison, DC president] and Jenette. Memory is that Jenette was considering a different approach, which ultimately became the SuperKids and the Singing Dog children’s book from Random House.” Tom DeFalco adds, “I was only a freelancer and had no knowledge of any office politics. I can say that both Sol and Jenette seemed to be very supportive of the Super Jrs. Jenette attended all those pitch meetings

Superhero Day Care (top) A buncha Super Jrs. stand alongside García López-drawn DC heroes in this style guide example. (right) Various Super Jrs. merchandise. TM & © DC Comics.

that I mentioned earlier and did her best to sell the Super Jrs. as a cartoon or a comic strip. I never heard about anything called the SuperKids and didn’t even know it existed.” Whatever the support, the SuperKids were never heard from again, leaving behind one book and an odd legal legacy; reading the indicia for the book reveals that “HUCKLEBERRY JAM and CHOCOLATE are trademarks licensed by DC Comics Inc.” One wonders if the jelly and candy manufacturing consortiums are aware of this?

SUPER JRS. NEVER DIE, THEY JUST FADE AWAY Despite their sole physical comic-book appearance, the Super Jrs. remained a key ingredient to DC’s licensing. Gerber rereleased the squeeze toys in 1983, while other US licensing was still ongoing as of 1981. The Super Jrs. were cover-featured on DC’s style guides— providing artwork for licensors, the majority of which was by José Luis García López—in both the 1982 and 1985 editions, and Wonder Woman Jr. appeared on the back cover of official DC company folders up through the 1990s. In 1984, a Brazilian sticker album featured two pages of Super Jrs. stickers, while the 1988 Brazilian Superamiguinhos Sticker Album was entirely dedicated to the Super Jrs. For over a decade, and spanning multiple continents, the Super Jrs. had found their images spread through licensing and one single mysterious comic. The hardy collectors who specialized in the odd corner of the DC Universe might have been content to know so little, but we here at BACK ISSUE must now throw a new log onto the blazing fire of mystery… A few years ago, an ex-DC editor sent me a package containing photocopies of multiple historical artifacts they thought might be of interest. One of them was a heretofore-unknown 36-page Super Jrs. comic story, penciled, inked, and fully lettered! It was clearly done at a different time from the previous story, and featured completely new designs. In this tale, four miniature superheroes pop into the bedroom of a crying boy whose bedroom is decorated with Superman logos and littered with well-read comics. The quartet are dressed as Superman (Dudley), Wonder Woman (Starlet), Batman (Groucho), and Robin (Buddy). Batman is also Robin’s father. The group seems to have no idea where they are, what their powers are, or what their costumes represent. Groucho had been working in his restaurant with the others preparing for opening day when Dudley added too much nutmeg to the cream sauce, causing an explosion that transported them into the bedroom of the crying boy.

The group soon reveals themselves to the boy, Davy, and he learns that they aren’t little people, but actually magical elves! Davy is brought outside by bullies Bull and Weasel, who plan to beat him up. The Super Jrs. intercede, scaring the bullies, but Weasel takes Superman Jr. with him. The next day, the Super Jrs. track Weasel down to his father’s toy store, Huckster’s Toy’s [sic], where the evil father is using toys to hypnotize consumers and plans to do something nefarious with remote controls hidden in their toys. The Super Jrs. battle the toys and help father and son reconcile, but as the story ends have no idea how they’re going to get back to their elfin homes. “Maybe there’s still work to do!” opines Wonder Woman Jr. as crowds shout, “Hooray for the Super Juniors!” Neither Levitz nor DeFalco knew anything about the newer Super Jrs. story, nor did anyone else in DC editorial that I contacted. The only references to time in the story can be gleaned from Wonder Woman’s Let’s Get Small Issue

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A SEMI-COMPLETE LISTING OF SUPER JRS. ITEMS Key: SU (Superman), WW (Wonder Woman), BA (Batman), RO (Robin), AQ (Aquaman), GA (Green Arrow), GL (Green Lantern), FL (Flash), HM (Hawkman), SG (Supergirl)

PRE-SUPER JRS. • • • • • •

1976 SuperBaby Vinyl/Plush Doll – 7" (Baby Batman) [#1182 Amsco] 1976 SuperBaby Vinyl/Plush Doll – 7" (Baby Captain America) [#1186 Amsco] 1976 SuperBaby Vinyl/Plush Doll – 7" (Baby Shazam!) [#1184 Amsco] 1976 SuperBaby Vinyl/Plush Doll – 7" (Baby Spiderman [sic]) [#1185 Amsco] 1976 SuperBaby Vinyl/Plush Doll – 7" (Baby Superman) [#1181 Amsco] 1976 SuperBaby Vinyl/Plush Doll – 7" (Baby Wonder Woman) [#1183 Amsco]

PRE-SUPER JRS. – FOREIGN Note: Although these dolls are essentially the Amsco dolls, they had minor differences. For instance, Superman had red gloves and WW had no shirt, and chest decals were slightly different for most. • 1976 SuperBebes Vinyl/Plush Doll – 7" (Baby Batman) [Plastimarx] • 1976 SuperBebes Vinyl/Plush Doll – 7" (Baby Captain America) [Plastimarx] • 1976 SuperBebes Vinyl/Plush Doll – 7" (Baby Shazam!) [Plastimarx] • 1976 SuperBebes Vinyl/Plush Doll – 7" (Baby Spiderman [sic]) [Plastimarx] • 1976 SuperBebes Vinyl/Plush Doll – 7" (Baby Superman) [Plastimarx] • 1976 SuperBebes Vinyl/Plush Doll – 7" (Baby Wonder Woman) [#1183 Plastimarx]

SUPER JRS. TOYS • • • • • • • •

1977 Reflective Bike Dingle (White with BA) [Dangle Your Dingle] 1978 Squeeze Toy Figural (BA) [#06295 Protecto/Reliance Products] 1978 Squeeze Toy Figural (RO) [#06295 Protecto/Reliance Products] 1978 Squeeze Toy Figural (SU) [#06295 Protecto/Reliance Products] 1978 Squeeze Toy Figural (WW) [#06295 Protecto/Reliance Products] 1983 Squeeze Toy Figural (SU) [#76286 Gerber] 1983 Squeeze Toy Figural (WW) [#76286 Gerber] 1983 Squeeze Toy Figural (BA) [#76286 Gerber]

SUPER JRS. CLOTHING • • • • •

1978 Sleeper (Yellow/White—SU sports) [Lullaby Land – Sears] 1978 Sleeper (Yellow/White—SU skiing) [Creations For Baby] 1978 Sleeper (Yellow/White—WW jumprope) [Lullaby Land – Sears] 1978 Jumper (Green—WW with logo) [Biltmore] 19?? Infant Top (Pink collar and white shirt—WW and logo)

• • • • • • • •

19?? Infant Top (Yellow collar and white shirt—WW roping growling tiger, logo on back) 1978 Sandals (Yellow with blue straps— SU) 1978 Sandals (White with red straps— WW) 1978 Shoes (Blue with red and white side stripes—SU) 1978 Shoes (Red with red and yellow side stripes—WW) 1978 Shoes (Red with yellow sides—WW) 1979 Socks (White with black soles—BA) [Toastee] 1979 Socks (White with red soles—RO) [Toastee]

SUPER JRS. EDUCATIONAL • • •

1979 Flash Cards - Multiplication (BA “x09” front card) [Larami Corp.] 1979 Flash Cards – Division (FL “5/5” front card) [#3800-0 Larami Corp.] 1979 Flash Cards – Division (WW “7/7” front card) [#3800-0 Larami Corp.]

SUPER JRS. FABRICS Note for Fabrics: Some designs have multiple dates. Many have been made into curtains, crib sheets, flat sheets, and pillowcases and are sold as such items on eBay, but research shows that they are not manufactured as anything except fabric initially. • 1978 Fabric 45" (Blue with balloons and green stars—SU, WW, BA, RO) • 1978 Fabric 45" (Blue with comic book background—SU, WW, BA, RO, GA, GL, FL) • 1978 Fabric 45" (Light Blue with skiing, ice skating, Batmobile, and BatCycle with stars—SU, WW, BA, RO) • 1978 Fabric 45" (Light Blue—SU only) • 1978 Fabric 45" (Light Blue with word balloons—SU, WW, BA, RO) • 1978 Fabric 45" (Pink—WW only) • 1978 Fabric 45" (White with hockey, ice skating, train, Batmobile, BatSkateboard, and BatCycle—SU, WW, BA, RO) • 1978 Fabric 45" (White with JLA seal— SU, WW, BA, RO, AQ, GA, GL, FL) • 1978 Fabric 45" (White with rodeo theme—SU, WW, BA, RO, GA) • 1981 Fabric 45" (White with rodeo theme—SU, WW, BA, RO, GA)

SUPER JRS. HOME PRODUCTS • • • • • • •

1978 Clear Plastic Cup (SU, WW, BA, RO in sled) [H.L. Stotter, Inc.] 1978 Clear Plastic Cup (BA on BatScooter) [H.L. Stotter, Inc.] 1978 Lunchbox (Hard plastic, blue lid and red body—SU, WW, BA, RO) 1978 Lunchbox (Hard plastic, red lid and blue body—SU, WW, BA, RO) 1978 Foam Placemat (Orange with white border—BA on BatScooter) 1978 Foam Placemat (White—SU, WW, BA, RO on sled) 19?? Comb & Brush (White—SU with train)

76 • BACK ISSUE • Let’s Get Small Issue

SUPER JRS. SLEEPING BAGS • •

1978 Sleeping Bag – 32" x 64" (Blue with Batmobile, Batcycle—BA, RO) 1978 Sleeping Bag (Blue with balloons and green stars—SU, WW, BA, RO)

SUPER JRS. WALL TREATMENTS • • • • •

1979 Poster 25" x 22" (White—SU, WW, BA, RO) 1978 Wall Hanging 23" x 19" (White— BA and RO in BatCycle and WW) 1978 Wall Hanging 24" x 17" (White— SU with hobo stick, BA b/w) 1978 Wall Hanging 24" x 17" (White— SU with hockey stick, BA and WW b/w) 1979 Wallpaper 6' x 22" (White—SU, WW, BA, RO, GA, SG)

SUPER JRS. FOREIGN GOODS •

• • • • • • • • • • • • • •

1979 Bagged Cardboard Cutouts (SU with watch, WW with star, BA with watch and logo, RO with logo, GA, HM) [Fiesta LeGria/Para Su Fiesco— Mexico] 1979 Cardboard Party Boxes – 25-pack (SU, RO, HM, BA and SU, FL, WW, GA) [Fiesta LeGria/Para Su Fiesco—Mexico] 1979 Cardboard Party Hat (SU skiing) 1979 Cardboard Party Hat (BA, RO on BatCycle) 1979 Cardboard Party Hat (BA, RO sledding) 1979 Cardboard Party Hat (BA, SU, WW) 1979 Cardboard Party Hat (FL, SU, HM) 1978 Paper Plates – 5 (Red border—SU, WW, BA, RO, AQ, GA, GL, FL) [Argentina] 1984 Super Herois em Acao Sticker Album – (includes 20 Super Jrs. stickers) [Editora Abril – Brazil] 1988 Superamiguinhos Sticker Album – 114 Stickers [Editora Globo – Brazil] 19?? Pencil Case (WW) [Argentina 19?? Waxed Cups (SU, WW, BA, RO) 19?? Jointed Wooden Puppet – 12" (WW) 19?? 3-D Plastic Wall Decoration – 28 x 22cm (WW with butterfly) [Decorama] 19?? 3-D Plastic Wall Decoration – 28 x 22cm (RO running) [Decorama]

FOREIGN DOLLS • • • • • • •

1979 Super Babies Jointed Doll – 13cm (Superman Jr.) [Furga] 1979 Super Babies Jointed Doll – 13cm (Batman Jr.) [Furga] 1979 Super Babies Jointed Doll – 13cm (Spider-Man Jr.) [Furga] 1980 Supereroi Jointed Doll (Superman Junior) [Galba/Baravelli—Italy] 1980 Supereroi Jointed Doll (Batman Junior) [Galba/Baravelli—Italy] 1980 Supereroi Jointed Doll (Flash Junior) [Galba/Baravelli—Italy] 1980 Supereroi Jointed Doll (Supergirl Junior) [Galba/Baravelli—Italy]

post–1982 costume and references to Rubik’s Cubes having been a past fad toy (in the early 1980s). As the story contains multiple spelling and grammatical errors, it clearly never reached proofreading stage at DC editorial before being shelved. One could hazard a guess that this could have been created as a part of DC’s aborted 1984–1985 kids’ line of comics, covered in depth in BACK ISSUE #57.

THE “ENDURING LEGACY” OF SUPER JRS. In the years since the sole Super Jrs. comic was released, both DC and Marvel have repeatedly gone to the “baby/toddler well” with various series. Toddler versions of Marvel’s famous mutants first appeared in X-Men Annual #10 (Jan. 1987), before being branded as “The X-Babies” in X-Men Annual #12 (1988) and later appearances. The Spring 2000 Young Justice: Sins of Youth event series saw both the Justice League and Justice Society transformed into toddler versions of themselves by the magical powers of Klarion the Witch Boy. Other-dimensional toddler versions of the Justice League also showed up in Superman/Batman #51–52 (Oct.–Nov. 2008) in the “Lil’ Leaguers” storyline, courtesy of meddling by Mr. Mxyzptlk and Bat-Mite. More recently, DC published 50 issues and various specials of Tiny Titans, an Eisner Award-winning title by Art Baltazar and Franco Aureliani, from February 2008 to May 2012. Marvel later countered with the one-shot A-Babies vs. X-Babies in December 2012, and “Marvel Babies” variant covers by Skottie Young in

The Last Hurrah?

2012–2013. On the toy shelves, toddler-esque versions of the DC heroes have been part of Funko Toys’ Pop Heroes toy and accessory line, as well as Fisher Price’s Little Peoples DC Super Friends line, the Mez-Its lines, and DC Collectibles Scribblenauts toys, among others. Clearly, Super Jrs. was ahead of its time, but whether the comic market could have supported a regular series for the concept in 1977 is a question for the ages. For today, we’ll close this particular storybook, knowing that at least some of the mysteries behind the birth of the Super Jrs. have now been answered. And for that, we’ll just say, in the coda words of Tom DeFalco… “Thank Goodness!”

Two pages from the unpublished mid-1980s Super Jrs. comic, possibly produced to be part of DC’s planned-butaxed kids’ line. TM & © DC Comics.

The interviews with Nick Cuti, Paul Levitz, and Tom DeFalco were conducted in March 2014 by Andy Mangels. Artwork and photos are courtesy the collection of Andy Mangels, Chris Franklin, and Brian from the PlaidStallions website. ANDY MANGELS is the USA Today bestselling author and co-author of 20 books, including the recent TwoMorrows book Lou Scheimer: Creating the Filmation Generation, as well as Iron Man: Beneath the Armor, and a lot of comic books. Additionally, he has scripted, directed, and produced Special Features for over 40 DVD releases. His moustache is infamous. www.AndyMangels.com and www.WonderWomanMuseum.com

Let’s Get Small Issue

•

BACK ISSUE • 77

not editorial favoritism. But still, it WAS cool, wasn’t it? And by the way, readers—and Brave and Bold fans—Mr. Kingman has penned a “Batman’s Weirdest Team-Ups” article which will appear as the cover feature for BI #78.

Send your comments to: Email: euryman@gmail.com (subject: BACK ISSUE) Postal mail: Michael Eury, Editor-in-Chief • BACK ISSUE 118 Edgewood Ave. NE • Concord, NC 28025

Find BACK ISSUE on

SHADOW OF THE BAT The 50th anniversary issue of Detective Comics [#572, Mar. 1987] was commemorated by a special issue featuring a number of legendary sleuths: Batman and Robin, Slam Bradley, Sherlock Holmes, and the Elongated Man … but there was another famous detective lurking in the shadows. DC colorists Adrienne Roy and Anthony Tollin colored the landmark issue while house guests in the California home of former Hollywood star John Archer, who had voiced The Shadow during the 1944–1945 radio season (scripted by Golden Age Green Lantern writer Alfred Bester) and in a Shadow cast reunion directed by Tollin the previous weekend. In the November 1986 photo [above], John “The Shadow” Archer keeps a close eye on the story featuring the Dark Knight that was inspired by the character he enacted on radio. – Anthony Tollin Thank you, Anthony, for that info, and for sharing your photograph.

COMIC-CON FLASHBACK The promotional ad above from DC made the rounds in various convention program books in 1977. This one comes from Jerry Boyd’s copy of the BAYCON III Program Book. Thanks, Jerry!

BATTY FOR BAT-SQUAD I don’t believe there is any publication on this planet (or any other parallel Earth, for that matter) that would kick off an issue with an article on the Bat-Squad from The Brave and the Bold #92. Except for BACK ISSUE, and that’s just one reason why it’s the greatest publication in the world. – Jim Kingman P.S. And then to follow it up with the Crusader from Aquaman #56! Uncanny! BACK ISSUE articles are usually chronological per their subjects’ release dates, Jim, so Bat-Squad’s lead-off was the result of that and 78 • BACK ISSUE • Let’s Get Small Issue

TO SPOIL OR NOT TO SPOIL? One of the many delights of BACK ISSUE is the unexpected article which shines a light on a sometimes forgotten corner of comicdom. Bryan D. Stroud’s two-page feature on the Crusader in BI #71 was one such piece. Aquaman #56 was among the first comics I ever bought, and it remains one of my all–time favorite issues. I found the idea of a new costumed hero, who appears out of nowhere and then dies, really compelling. I had no concept then of how unusual this motif was, and I’m glad that no one has ever seen fit to revive the character. How long did I wait for that promised Aquaman #57 to appear? I had no understanding of canceled comics back then, either. You asked in the same issue (#71) what sort of features your readers prefer, and whether or not your articles should reveal “spoilers.” I don’t honestly think you can enforce a

That’s a pretty good track record for BI, Simon! Magazines are meant to contain diverse contents and it’s rare I’ve ever read any periodical cover to cover. I’m thrilled that you’ve found the vast majority of BACK ISSUE’s articles to your liking. The Crusader resonated with me way back in the day when, as a kid, I read his throwaway appearance in Aquaman, as I liked the character and wanted to see more of him. I guess Bryan Stroud’s article about him is about as close to a return appearance as we’ll ever get. And speaking of surprise cancellations, I recall my first comprehension of this was my wait, as a young boy, for Metamorpho #18. I’m rethinking my “no spoilers” remark in BACK ISSUE #71, which I made in response to the letter from John Moret. True, our articles shouldn’t essentially “read” the comic book to you, but in BI we are mining comics history, and history involves the retelling of stories from the past. So some elements of stories must be discussed. I suspect that Mr. Moret’s spoiler examples of Superman vs. Shazam! and Superman vs. Wonder Woman were cited only because their articles were published so close to their stories’ reprinting by DC Comics. Neither of those articles were guilty, from my editorial perspective, of revealing too much about their subjects’ plots. Thank you for your letter!

MIXING IT UP With regard to Todd Weber’s letter in BI #71, and your reply, I for one am all in favor of mixing things up, and absolutely LOVED the discussion of Walt Simonson’s art (including but not restricted to facial expressions) in BI #66’s X-Men/New Teen Titans article. I really like the more analytic articles and the “Off My Chest” opinion pieces. I find them much more interesting than the strings of plot summaries in some of the articles, which I tend to skip. There’s obviously a place for them, but I prefer other stuff. – Mark Spedding Mark, BI is fortunate to have a large pool of versatile writers, so we’ll keep mixing things up in our pages.

A MAR-VELL-OUS STORY In his article “Ready for the Spotlight” (BI #71), Jacob Buttery generously credits me as writer of the Captain Marvel story in Marvel Spotlight #8 (volume 2). However, a glance to the right, where the splash page is reproduced on page 13, more accurately credits me as “Scripter/Co-Plotter,” and Dick Riley as “Co-Plotter.” The full story is thus: In those long-ago days I was scrabbling about for any freelance writing that was to be had (which wasn’t much). Marvel EIC Jim Shooter informed me of the existence of an unscripted Captain Marvel story plotted by a Dick Riley, whom Jim said was somehow connected with the 1979 movie Meteor, which Marvel had adapted. This was apparently how Mr. Riley had made the Marvel connection. Jim said Riley had never dialogued the story and that anyone who had tried couldn’t make any sense out of it. To quote Barney Stinson, “Challenge accepted!” I managed to make at least some sense out of the story by adding a somewhat ponderous subplot about censorship and freedom of expression, and the tale was published not long after. The art had already been inked (at best adequately) by the time I dialogued it, and the copy had been pasted on. (Note that a caption is missing in panel one. A dialogue balloon from CM, too.) It’s by no means a great job, and maybe not even a good one. But, like every story I’ve ever written, I gave it the best I had at the time. Whether that was enough is for history to judge. – Mike W. Barr

hard and fast rule. For example, I bought Amazing Spider-Man #248—the issue where Spidey reveals his secret identity to a dying boy—having read about it in BI. Knowing the outcome didn’t spoil a comic I wouldn’t otherwise have read. I prefer to read overviews, backed with the thoughts of some of the contributors involved, rather than blow-by-blow accounts. I find the articles which merely recount what happened in comic after comic to be the less inspiring ones. My advice would be to keep mixing up the style. Different subjects lend themselves to being treated in different ways. I wouldn’t want or expect every article in BI to look and read the same. Like everyone else, I’m initially more drawn to features that focus on characters or comics I’ve enjoyed or collected, although I usually end up reading almost every article in the end. I stress “usually,” because an exception was the recent Hulk-centred issue, where I did skip one or two of the more plot-centered articles. I’ve never really “got” the Hulk—I know, it’s probably my loss—but there we are. The Hulk issue aside, however, in the last ten years BACK ISSUE has opened my eyes to any number of comics that slipped under my personal radar first time around. I’ve bought collections of Badger, Squadron Supreme, Kubert’s Tarzan, Zot!, Cinder and Ashe, The Question, Maze Agency, and a host of odds and ends from the Atom to Zatanna after reading about them in BI. In fact, in the first 71 issues there have only been a couple of articles I've actively disliked. The first was from the early days—the spoof “History of All-American Comics”—which would have made for a fun single feature, but certainly didn't merit being strung out in the way it was. The second feature I didn’t care for was the more recent “Swamp Thing #25” article by James T. Arnold, which told us very little about the comic and far too much about the article’s author. But to have only a handful of duds in ten years? That’s pretty good in my book. BACK ISSUE is still top of my reading pile, and long may it continue. – Simon Bullivant

Next issue: Return to a time … When Comics Were Fun! FRED HEMBECK cover gallery, Plastic Man, Blue Devil, Marvel’s Star Comics imprint, JIM VALENTINO’s normalman, the Bronze Age’s goofiest Superman stories, Marvel Fun & Games Magazine, and the Batman/Dick Tracy team-up you didn’t see! Featuring the work of MAX ALLAN COLLINS, PARIS CULLINS, RAMONA FRADON, ALAN KUPPERBERG, DAN MISHKIN and GARY COHN, STEVE SKEATES, JOE STATON, CURT SWAN, and more. With a Hembeck recreation of his classic Spectacular Spider-Man #86 cover. Don’t ask—just BI it! See you in sixty! Your friendly neighborhood Euryman, Michael Eury, editor-in-chief

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BACK ISSUE • 79

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CAROL L. TILLEY on Dr. Fredric Wertham’s falsification of his research in the 1950s, featuring art by EVERETT, SHUSTER, PETER, BECK, COSTANZA, WEBB, FELDSTEIN, WILLIAMSON, WOOD, BIRO, and BOB KANE! Plus AMY KISTE NYBERG on the evolution of the Comics Code, FCA, Mr. Monster, BILL SCHELLEY, and a new cover by JASON PAULOS and DANIEL JAMES COX!

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DRAW! #29

Building LEGO bricks WITH character, with IAIN HEATH and TOMMY WILLIAMSON, Manga-inspired creations of MIKE DUNG, sculptures by Taiwanese Brick Artist YO YO CHEN, Minifigure Customization by JARED BURKS, step-by-step “You Can Build It” instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, BrickNerd DIY Fan Art by TOMMY WILLIAMSON, MINDSTORMS building, and more!

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BERNIE WRIGHTSON interview on Swamp Thing, Warren, The Studio, Frankenstein, Stephen King, and designs for movies like Heavy Metal and Ghostbusters, and a gallery of Wrightson artwork! Plus writer/editor BRUCE JONES; 20th anniversary of Bart Simpson's Treehouse of Horror with BILL MORRISON; and interview Wolff and Byrd, Counselors of the Macabre's BATTON LASH, and more!

MIKE ALLRED and BOB BURDEN cover and interviews, "Reid Fleming, World's Toughest Milkman" cartoonist DAVID BOSWELL interviewed, a chat with RICH BUCKLER, SR. about everything from Deathlok to a new career as surrealistic painter; Tales of the Zombie artist PABLO MARCOS speaks; Israeli cartoonist RUTU MODAN; plus an extensive essay on European Humor Comics!

DAVE DORMAN demonstrates his painting techniques for sci-fi, fantasy, and comic book cover, LeSEAN THOMAS (character designer and co-director of The Boondocks and Black Dynamite: The Animated Series) gives advice on today’s animation industry, new columnist JERRY ORDWAY shows his working process, plus more Comic Art Bootcamp by BRET BLEVINS and Draw! editor MIKE MANLEY! Mature readers only.

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BACK ISSUE #77

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KIRBY COLLECTOR #64

KIRBY COLLECTOR #65

“When Comics Were Fun!” HEMBECK cover and gallery, Plastic Man, Blue Devil, Marvel’s Star Comics imprint, VALENTINO’s normalman, Bronze Age’s goofiest Superman stories, and the Batman/Dick Tracy team-up you didn’t see! Featuring MAX ALLAN COLLINS, PARIS CULLINS, RAMONA FRADON, ALAN KUPPERBERG, MISHKIN & COHN, STEVE SKEATES, JOE STATON, CURT SWAN, and more!

“Weird Issue!” Batman’s Weirdest TeamUps, ORLANDO’s Weird Adventure Comics, Weird War Tales, Weird Mystery Tales, DITKO’s Shade the Changing Man and Stalker, CHAYKIN’s Iron Wolf, CRUMB’s Weirdo, and STARLIN and WRIGHTSON’s The Weird! Featuring JIM APARO, LUIS DOMINGUEZ, MICHAEL FLEISHER, BOB HANEY, PAUL LEVITZ, and more. Batman and Deadman cover by ALAN CRADDOCK.

“Charlton Action Heroes in the Bronze Age!” DAVE GIBBONS on Charlton’s WATCHMEN connection, LEN WEIN and PARIS CULLINS’ Blue Beetle, CARY BATES and PAT BRODERICK’s Captain Atom, Peacemaker, Peter Cannon: Thunderbolt, and a look at Blockbuster Weekly! Featuring MIKE COLLINS, GIORDANO, KUPPERBERG, ALAN MOORE, PAT MORISI, ALEX ROSS, and more. Cover by AL MILGROM.

SUPER-SOLDIERS! We declassify Captain America, Fighting American, Sgt. Fury, The Losers, Pvt. Strong, Boy Commandos, and a tribute to Simon & Kirby! PLUS: a Kirby interview about Captain America, MARK EVANIER and other columnists, key 1940s’50s events in Kirby’s career, unseen pencils and unused art from OMAC, SILVER STAR, CAPTAIN AMERICA (in the 1960s AND ’70s), the LOSERS, & more! KIRBY cover!

ANYTHING GOES (AGAIN)! Another potpourri issue with a comparison of Jack Kirby’s work vs. the design genius of ALEX TOTH, a lengthy Kirby interview, a look at Kirby’s work with WALLY WOOD, MARK EVANIER and our other regular columnists, unseen and unused Kirby art from JIMMY OLSEN, KAMANDI, MARVELMANIA, Jack’s COMIC STRIP & ANIMATION WORK, and more!

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