Wonder Man Official Trailer

 

Saturday Showcase: Mr. Immortal

 

Today's Showcase features the leader of the Great Lakes Avengers, Mr. Immortal.  Why did I choose to do my showcase on an Avenger B Team member?  Well, you have the Disney+ hit series She-Hulk: Attorney at Law to thank for that.   

Craig Hollis, aka Mr. Immortal, was created by John Byrne and he first appeared in The West Coast Avengers vol. 2 #46 (July 1989).  He was the leader of a group of heroes calling themselves the Great Lakes Avengers.  They caught the attention of Mockingbird and Hawkeye from the West Coast Avengers so the couple decided to go check them out.  It was during a battled with Mockingbird that we realized that Mr. Immortal was actually immortal.

Craig's origin story was not fully disclosed in his first appearance but the story goes something like this.  A cosmic entity known Deathurge first appeared to Craig shortly after his birth and the death of his mother. We find out the mother made Deathurge promise that he would look after Craig. Craig called Deathurge, "D'urge", and the two became the best of friends. His father believed Craig had an imaginary friend.  Deathurge would often find ways for Craig to tempt Death so he could be free of his promise.

On Craig's eighth birthday, Deathurge goaded Craig into setting his house on fire, and then hiding under it as it burned.  This event wouldkill Craig's father.  After the fire, Deathurge stopped visiting Craig and Craig was moved into a new home. His foster father, Mr. O'Doughan, was an abusive man, though Craig became close to his foster sister, Terri, the two eventually falling in love as adults. This ended with Terri's suicide, prompting the return of Deathurge. The grief-stricken Craig begged Deathurge to take him but Deathurge refused and departed again. Craig attempted the first of a number of suicide attempts by jumping off a building, only to discover with this and subsequent attempts using other methods, that he could not die.

With the discovery of his immortality, he takes on the codename Mr. Immortal. In his first outing as a superhero, trying to foil a bank robbery, Mr. Immortal is shot and left for dead. He decides that forming a team will allow him to apply his abilities more usefully.  Although he is given to fits of rage upon regaining consciousness following otherwise-fatal injuries, his teammate and sometimes lover Dinah Soar can utter vocalizations that can calm him. On account of his immortality, he often engages in life-endangering stunts, and is invariably willing to take on the deadliest aspects of missions.

The team first encounters the Avengers when they are lured to the Germania Building by Hawkeye and Mockingbird, who become their mentors.  They helped Hawkeye and the West Coast Avengers against "That Which Endures." They also assisted Mockingbird in a holding action against Terminus.  After aiding the Thunderbolts against the villain Graviton, the team clashes with the mercenary Deadpool. 

Deathurge eventually returns and lets Craig know that his destiny was to outlive everyone as the one true immortal, and then learn the grand secret that will reveal itself at the end of things, in addition revealing Mr. Immortal not to be either Homo sapiens or homo superior, but rather Homo supreme: a being that has evolved past death itself, making him the ultimate human. Deathurge thought by taking away some of his loved ones, would prepare Mr. Immortal so that he could truly live to that destiny, but this is jeopardized by the supervillain Maelstrom, who threatens to destroy the entire universe. 

This gives Mr. Immortal a new incentive to live, and he sets out to stop Maelstrom and save the universe. The GLA confront Maelstrom, who in the course of the conflict, commits suicide. The GLA, however, gain no recognition and circumstances force them to cease using the Avengers name. After discovering that they were all mutants, the team decides to change their name to the Great Lakes X-Men, and adopt new costumes.  Which in turn really wouldn't last that long.

Publication Information

Publisher:  Marvel Comics

First Appearance: The West Coast Avengers Vol. 2 #46 (July 1989)

Created by John Byrne

Alter Ego:  Craig Hollis

Species: Human Mutant

Team Affiliations:

• Great Lakes Avengers
• the Lightning Rods (GLA play on the Thunderbolts name)
• Great Lakes X-Men

Abilities

• Highly Skilled Acrobat & Athlete
• Immortality 

Until next time, get your READ on!!!

Saturday Showcase: Mockingbird (Sunday Edition)

 

It has been two weeks since the Hawkeye series ended over at Disney+ and I promised one more showcase inspired by the show.  As with most holidays, things tend to surprise and I could not get this out in time for Saturday, so I hope you enjoy my Sunday edition of my Saturday Showcase.  Today, we focus on S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent 19 aka Bobbi Morse aka Mockingbird.

Barbara Morse first appears in the Ka-Zar story in Astonishing Tales #6 (June 1971) written by Gerry Conway and penciled by Barry Smith. The earliest story to be written and drawn (by Len Wein and Neal Adams) featuring the character was intended to appear in Savage Tales #2 (July 1971), but the series was canceled and new homes were found for the stories in the ensuing months.

After appearing in the 1983 Hawkeye mini-series, Mockingbird became a founding member of the West Coast Avengers, appearing in the group's initial self-titled mini-series, followed by regular appearances in the group's ongoing monthly series, until its end in 1994.

She was written off as dead until the 2009-2010 Secret Invasion storyline that indicated that the real Bobbi Morse was abducted by Skrulls and the Mockingbird that died was a Skrull agent.

Mockingbird then appeared as a regular character throughout the 2010–2013 New Avengers series, from issue #1 (August 2010) through its final issue #34 (January 2013). She also co-starred in the 2010 series Hawkeye & Mockingbird, which ran for 6 issues. Mockingbird became a regular character in the 2013 Secret Avengers series by Nick Spencer and Luke Ross.

Publication Information

Publisher: Marvel Comics

First Appearance:

• As Dr. Barbara Morse: Astonishing Tales #6 (June 1971)

Full Appearance:

• Astonishing Tales #12 (June 1972)
• As Agent 19 of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Astonishing Tales #18 (June 1973)
• As Huntress: Marvel Super Action #1 (January 1976)
• As Mockingbird: Marvel Team-Up #95 (July 1980)

Created by Len Wein (writer) & Neal Adams (artist)

Biographical Information

Full Name:  Barbara "Bobbi" Morse

Team Affiliations:

• S.H.I.E.L.D.
• Avengers
• West Coast Avengers
• Great Lakes Avengers
• Night Shift
• Legion of the Unliving
• New Avengers
• World Counter-terrorism Agency
• Secret Avengers
• Parker Industries
• Force Works
• G.I.R.L
• Advanced Idea Mechanics (A.I.M)
• Underground
• Daughters of Liberty

Partnerships:

• Kevin Plunder / Ka-Zar
• Clint Barton / Hawkeye (ex-husband)

Notable Aliases:

• Barbara Morse-Barton
• Roberta Morse
• Agent 19
• the Huntress
• Mockingbird

Abilities:

• Proficient in armed hand to hand combatant, espionage, gymnastics, and martial arts
• Enhanced strength and agility
• Healing and halted aging
• Expert marksman and mastery of various other weapons, especially her trademark two battle staves

So, you see, when we saw the 19 on the back of the watch, true believers knew that Bobbi Morse was alive and well.  We also knew that Tony was right all along when he said she had to be an agent of some kind.

Until next time, get your READ on!

Saturday Showcase: Hawkeye (Clint Barton)

How well do you think you know Clint Barton aka Hawkeye?  Well, with a hit series on Disney+, you may think you will find out everything there is to know about Clint, but you would be wrong.  In fact, I am curious to see how much of his origin story they will keep and how much they will alter.  So, sit back and relax while I tell you a little story of a hero known as Hawkeye.

EARLY DAYS

Hawkeye was introduced as a reluctant villain in Tales of Suspense #57 (Sept. 1964). After two more appearances as a villain in Tales of Suspense #60 and #64 (Dec. 1964 and April 1965), Hawkeye joined the ranks of the Avengers in The Avengers #16 (May 1965). He became a perennial member of the team and has made numerous appearances in many Avengers titles however, Hawkeye's presence in the Avengers was sporadic for nearly a decade starting in early 1973. 

Clint Barton was born in Waverly, Iowa. At a young age he lost both of his parents in a car accident. After six years in an orphanage, Clint and his brother Barney Barton ran away to join the Carson Carnival of Traveling Wonders. That is where Clint soon caught the eye of the Swordsman, who took the young boy on as his assistant. Along with the help of Trick Shot, the Swordsman trained Clint to become a master archer.  Clint later found the Swordsman embezzling money from the carnival. Before he could turn his mentor over to the authorities, Clint was beaten and left for dead, allowing the Swordsman to escape town. This also harmed Clint's relationship with his brother Barney and Trick Shot soon deteriorated as well.

Clint adapted his archery skills to become a star carnival attraction, a master archer called "Hawkeye", otherwise known as "The World's Greatest Marksman". He witnessed Iron Man in action and was inspired to become a costumed hero. However, after a misunderstanding on his first outing, Hawkeye was accused of theft and believed to be a criminal. On the run, the naïve Hawkeye met Black Widow with whom he fell in love. Mindlessly following Black Widow, Hawkeye aided her attempts to steal technology developed by Tony Stark. In one of their battles with Iron Man, Black Widow was seriously injured. Hawkeye rescued her and fled the battle to save her life. But before Hawkeye could take her to a hospital, Black Widow disappeared. Hawkeye decided to be a "straight-shooter" from then on.

During his early career as a hero, Hawkeye rescues Edwin Jarvis and his mother from a mugger. In gratitude, Jarvis invites Hawkeye to Avengers Mansion and stages a confrontation to allow the archer to clear his name and gain the trust of the Avengers.  Hawkeye is then sponsored by his former enemy Iron Man, who sees that he is serious about becoming a hero. Led by Captain America, Hawkeye joins the team along with Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch to form the second incarnation of the Avengers. Almost straight away, Hawkeye clashes with his fellow Avengers. His romantic intentions towards the Scarlet Witch are met with hostility from her brother, Quicksilver. Hawkeye rebels against Captain America's leadership, but over time comes to respect him as a mentor and a friend. 

LATER DAYS

Hawkeye would eventually "quit" the Avengers and lead his own brand of heroes known as the West Coast Avengers.  The original lineup included team leader Hawkeye, his wife Bobbi a.k.a. Mockingbird, Tigra, Wonder Man and the invincible Iron Man (James Rhodes). Tony Stark would soon reclaim his Iron Man identity and join the group as well. (Rhodes became War Machine) Dr. Hank Pym, a founding Avenger as Ant-Man was offered the open sixth slot in the lineup, but he turned it down to act as their compound manager and resident scientist. Members would come and go, but Hawkeye would always lead the charge.  Some of my favorite members included Moon Knight, US Agent, and Spider-Woman.

Hawkeye has been many things in his lifetime.  He was a circus performer, villain, hero, Avenger, giant, soldier, agent, and a leader of both the West Coast Avengers as well as the Thunderbolts.  Not bad for someone who actually has no super powers right? ( **That's right, I'm talking to you Bruce!**)  He was able to do these impossible tasks due to his special abilities.

ABILITIES

• Master Archer& Marksman
• Expert tactician, acrobat and hand-to-hand combatant
• Using a variety of trick arrows

As Goliath:

• Superhuman Strength and Durability
• Size and Mass Manipulation

As Ronin:

• Martial Arts Expertise
• Swordsman
• Master of a variety of Weapons including throwing stars, Sai, and Nunchucks

BIO

Alter Ego:  Clinton Francis Barton

Birthplace: Waverly, Iowa

Team Affiliations:

Avengers

Avengers Academy

Defenders

Great Lakes Avengers

New Avengers

Secret Avengers

S.H.I.E.L.D.

Thunderbolts

West Coast Avengers

Wild Pack

World Counter-Terrorism Agency

Partnerships:

Mockingbird (ex-wife)

Kate Bishop

Black Widow

Notable Aliases: Golden Archer, Goliath, Ronin

First Appearance(s):

As Hawkeye:  Tales of Suspense #57 (Sept. 1964)

As Goliath:  Avengers #63 (April 1969)

As Golden Archer:  Captain America #179 (November 1974)

As Ronin:  The New Avengers #27 (April 2007)

Created by Stan Lee & Don Heck

Now, I know you are saying that is a lot to accomplish in his lifetime and he should be very proud to call himself a hero or a role model, but as the hit series explains, he doesn't feel that way.  He is just a man doing his job to keep the world safe for his kids and the future.  He does what it takes to get the job done and that is why he ranks as my top Avenger of all time.

If you haven't started to watch the Disney+ series yet, you should really start because the show is amazing.  I said this when I first saw the Avengers film and I stand by my statement today, "Jeremy Renner was born to play the part of Hawkeye, no one else is worthy!"

Until next time, get your READ on!

Saturday Showcase: the Vision ("White" Version)

 

    We all know that the Marvel Studios projects veer from the original comic storylines in some shape or form.  So, with the bombshell that WandaVision dropped with episode 8, fans are asking why is there a "White" Vision at S.W.O.R.D. and what they will do with it?  Well, I hope after you read this post you may have some kind of idea.

    The "White" Vision storyline took place during a story arc known as Vision Quest and it took place in issues #42-45 in the West Coast Avengers(March – June 1989) and was created by writer/penciller John Byrne to take the character away from his earlier depictions as a "synthetic human" and emphasized his android nature. The story had the Vision's memory and human brain patterns wiped out, severed his relationship with his wife, revealed their children to be essentially imaginary constructs, and included a two-page spread showing a dismantled Vision. Can you see some of the similarities going on now?

    Here's how it could tie into the show.  In the "Vision Quest" storyline, rogue agents of the United States government, abduct the Vision and dismantle him. This much is the same, however instead of the Avengers rebuilding him it could be S.W.O.R.D. They rebuild Vision, but with a chalk-white complexion (symbolizing that his human side is dead, a ghost if you will). This, along with damage to Vision's synthetic skin when he was dismantled, results in the synthezoid's resurrection as a colorless and emotionless artificial human.

   Not exactly how it went down in the comics, but you get the gist of it.  I know, it's a mouthful as well as a brain freeze to try to relate comics to film.  What you basically need to know is, S.W.O.R.D.  will send their Vision into Wanda's reality to try to stop her.  With only so much time left it's hard to say if Vision will gain emotion with the help of chaos magic or if the Vision we all love will remain dead.  There are countless ways this series will end, but I think we can all agree that it will lead us into the adventures of Phase 4.

Saturday Showcase: Agatha Harkness

 

    Well for those of you watching WandaVision, it appears the cat is out of the bag.  If you have not been a Marvel fan since the '70's, you maybe a little lost right now. So, let me explain exactly who Agatha Harkness is with my Saturday Showcase.

    Agatha Harkness was first introduced as the governess of Franklin Richards.  She easily fended off the Frightful Four when they came to abduct Franklin Richards, and admitted to the Fantastic Four that she is a witch. She then aided the Fantastic Four in battle against Annihilus. (Fantastic Four#109-110)

    Through the actions of her son Nicholas Scratch, she was revealed as being a member of the previously unknown New Salem, Colorado, a colony of witches of whom she had been the leader. Scratch had taken control of the town and had persuaded its inhabitants that Agatha had betrayed the community's secrets by working for the Fantastic Four. She was abducted and taken back to the community with Franklin so that she might be put on trial. (F4 #185) The Fantastic Four followed and came into conflict with the Salem's Seven, Agatha's grandchildren that were fathered by Scratch. The Fantastic Four defeated them and freed Agatha. In the process, Scratch's evil was revealed to the community of New Salem and he was banished to another dimension. (F4 #186) Agatha became the magical tutor for the Scarlet Witch in the use of witchcraft. (the Avengers #128)

    Scratch and Salem's Seven returned, and Agatha foiled their attempt to conquer the world. (F4 Annual #14) Eventually Salem's Seven took over the New Salem community again. They captured Agatha and killed her by burning her at the stake, though Agatha soon made her presence known to Wanda in what appeared to be a post-death astral form. In an ensuing battle between the Scarlet Witch and Salem's Seven, the entire community's energies were drawn into Vertigo of the Seven, who lost control of them. Wanda managed to capture some of the energy and funnel it away, but the entire town was still decimated. Following hints from Agatha's astral form, Wanda channeled the remaining energy to become pregnant with her husband’s, The Vision, children. (Vision and Scarlet Witch Vol. 2, #3)

    Once again, Agatha resurfaced, again alive and well, when Wanda's infant children began exhibiting odd behavior (disappearing for brief periods of time) and Wanda became unstable after her husband's dismantling; Agatha provided no explanation for her return. (Avengers West Coast #51)   After Mephisto claimed that Scarlet Witch's children were actually fragments of his own soul and reabsorbs them, Agatha briefly mind-wiped Wanda's memory of her children in an attempt to help her deal with the trauma. 

Agatha Harkness

Publisher: Marvel Comics

First appearance: Fantastic Four #94 (January 1970)

Created by: Stan Lee (writer) &Jack Kirby (artist)

Species: Human/Witch

Team affiliations: Daughters of Liberty

Partnerships: Fantastic Four

                         Scarlet Witch

Abilities: Highly skilled magic user

Saturday Showcase: Hellstorm

 

    We have 7 days until Halloween.  I knw, why state the obvious?  Well, the timing is the reason I chose the subject for this week's Saturday Showcase.  I have been enjoying the Hulu original series Helstrom and it made me reflect on the good ole days from my childhood and all of my glorious comics that I would stay up after lights out and read over and over again.   Today's showcase is one Daimon Hellstrom.  As you will come to find out from this article, he is a very unique character that could actually have a role in any Marvel movie if the writers chose to do so.  So, let's cut all the gibberish and get right to it.

    Daimon Hellstrom was born in the town of Greentown, Massachusetts. He is the son of Satan and a mortal woman named Victoria Wingate (we later find out that his father was a demon named Marduk Kurios and not the devil). Daimon and his sister, Satana, were trained by their father in the art of magic, tapping into the power granted them by their dark heritage. However, while Satana embraced her heritage, Daimon clung to his humanity. When their mother discovered who her husband really was, she was driven mad. Daimon and Satana were separated and put in different homes after his mother was institutionalized and his father banished back to Hell. Daimon grew up in a Jesuit-run orphanage, never hearing a word from his father or sister. He became a professor of anthropology at St. Louis University. He then set himself up as an occult investigator and defender of humanity, battling dark arcane forces—primarily those of his father—under the name of the "Son of Satan", as a demonologist and exorcist.

    Hellstorm was first introduced to us fighting Satan and the Witch-Woman alongside Ghost Rider. (Ghost Rider #1)  He would then join the team known as the Defenders and fight evil in many forms to protect humanity.  He also teamed up with the Thing and battled Kthara. (Marvel Two-In-One #14).  He also helped the West Coast Avengers from time to time with his love Hell Cat by his side. Although it sounds like he overcame his father's grasp, nothing could be farther from the truth.

    You see, those Daimon loves tend to get hurt, physically or mentally and sometimes both.  For example, the love of his life went insane and eventually ended her life to escape or mental state.  Daimon would continue on using his power for good, but he knew it would be a lonely journey.  A journey he felt needed to be done to protect the Earth from his father's grasp.

Publication Information

Publisher:  Marvel Comics

First Appearance:  Ghost Rider #1 (Sept. 1973)

Created by:  Roy Thomas (writer) & Gary Friedrich (artist)

Character Information

Alter Ego: Daimon Hellstrom

Species: Human/Demon hybrid

Team Affiliations:

• Defenders
• God Squad
• Hellfire Club
• Masters of Evil
• Midnight Sons
• Shadow Hunters
• S.H.I.E.L.D. Paranormal Containment Unit

Notable Aliases:  Son of Satan, Hellstorm

Abilities:

• Dark magic user
• Fire projection
• Ability to heal others
• Peak human physical capabilities

    So, that's my showcase on Hellstorm.  I really hope you enjoyed this post and find yourself looking more into this character.  I really suggest that you watch the Hulu original series Helstrom.  Even if you were not a fan of  Hellstorm from the '70s, you will enjoy the show.  If you are an old school comic lover like me, you will definitely enjoy the show!

Until next time, get your READ on!

Classic Cover of the Day

Classic Cover of the Day

Avengers West Coast Vol. 1 #93

Marvel

Saturday Showcase: US Agent

    Today is Veterans' Day and I can think of no better character to showcase than US Agent.  Some of you may have never heard of US Agent, but he is the man that took Steve Rogers place as Captain America when Steve thought he was finished with being a hero.  Long story short, Steve changes his mind and wants to be Cap again so John had no choice but to become his own persona.  I am getting ahead of myself so let me begin again.

    John Walker was a hero originally known as the Super Patriot.  That's him to the right.  The Super Patriot was another super soldier like Cap,who wanted to make America a better place.  When Steve had enough, John was asked to fill Cap's shoes and he gladly accepted.  Well,Steve didn't like the way John did things.  So, Steve created the Captain persona to take on Captain America.  In the long run, Steve won his title back and John adapted the look of the Captain but called himself, US Agent.

    As US Agent, John became the successful leader of the West Coast Avengers.  This team consisted of a lot of great heroes like Moon Knight, Hawkeye, Tigra, and Mockingbird.  He was at the forefront to doing great things.  Then, boom, MARVEL seemed to forget how much he was worth.  He was on the team Force Works, which had him play second fiddle to Tony Stark as well as a new look.

    The character of US Agent had identity issues in terms of costumes for years to come as well as jumping from team to team.  Marvel decided to put him on the shelf and only use him from time to time.  Hell, he resurfaced years later as a member of Omega Flight during the whole Civil War drama that was playing out in Marvel Comics.

    John's look as the US Agent was always one of my favorite hero looks.  Hell, I still have my US Agent figure that came out from Toy Biz years ago just because it looks so damn cool.  Sure it was just a paint job on a Cap figure but I didn't care.  When the first Cap movie came out and I saw an US Agent figure on the shelf, I made sure to get one because he is just that cool.

    I hope that MARVEL wises up and starts to utilize John more in film and TV.  He made a brief comeback last year in the Sam Wilson titles, so that gives me hope.  I would love to see US Agent on the TV series agents or even for a brief period on the big screen.  I just want his talents as well as his character recognized.

Happy Veterans' Day!

US Agent by Norm Breyfogle