Retro Comic Recap: The Champions #9

Happy Monday, folks!

Today's focus is on the ninth issue of the Champions. The cover showed the Black Widow squaring off against Darkstar, while Hercules was surrounded by the Crimson Dynamo and the Titanium Man. The story was called "The Battle of Los Angeles!" The issue had a publication date of December 1976.

The tale began with Hercules and the Angel being attacked by the Griffin, the Titanium Man, and the Crimson Dynamo at a public forum in Los Angeles, moments after the heroes started to announce the existence of their team, the Champions, to the world. The people who'd assembled started to disperse, panicking after witnessing the initial attack by the villains. 

Heroes rushed to face the challenge, including the Champions' host and business manager, Fenster. Johnny Blaze (the Ghost Rider) was riding back from the hospital (where he'd delivered their rival Rampage last issue) when he saw the commotion. He quickly changed into his superhero identity and joined the battle. However, it wasn't enough to overcome the terrible trio. The villains had now defeated all of the Champions except for Iceman.

Iceman (Bobby Drake) was still on the trail of the Black Widow, with the help of the Widow's longtime friend Ivan. Drake warned his companion about the potential dangers that could await them inside the warehouse that Ivan's device had used to locate the Widow and her former trainer, Alexi Bruskin, when their opponents neared their building with the other Champions in tow.

Ivan and Drake took on their opponents, leaving Darkstar to watch over their original hostages. The Black Widow was prepared for her return, but wasn't about to endanger her mentor. Ivan burst through the overhead window in the middle of the Widow and Darkstar's confrontation. 

After that skirmish, Ivan went to the side of Darkstar, another former pupil of his whose name was Laynia. Before anything more could be done, the Crimson Dynamo, Griffin, and the Titanium Man entered the room with the remaining Champions in their arms. The Dynamo then removed his helmet and revealed himself to be Ivan's son, a person whom Ivan thought was dead.

Many men have donned the Crimson Dynamo and Titanium Man's armor over the decades. The twist at the end of this story was an interesting point in the storyline. It also showed some of the allegiances starting to bend a bit. I was still a bit surprised by the decision to introduce the news media to the team that was still relatively new and only had 2 of its members present at the time. 

That's all I have for you today. Time for me to relax and have a nice dinner before watching the Vikings game on TV. I'll return tomorrow to sum up the tenth issue of the Champions. This storyline's climax features the final struggle between the Champions and their foes from Eastern Europe. We'll see what happens to these unions in the aftermath as well. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another. 

Retro Comic Recap: The Champions #8

Good afternoon,

I'm wrapping up the weekend with a summary of the eighth issue of Marvel's The Champions. The cover depicted a mystery villain emanating powers that were apparently strong enough to injure the Black Widow, Hercules, Ghost Rider, Iceman, and the Angel. The tale was titled "Divide and Conquer!" The issue had a cover date of October 1976.

The story began at the Champions' temporary headquarters in Los Angeles, where Hercules, the Angel, and the Widow's friend Ivan were staring in disbelief at photographs of the Black Widow fighting and being defeated by the Titanium Man. The pictures had been delivered by Stuart Clarke, who was now back in his Rampage exo-suit. Hercules was aching to attack, but their foe warned that if he did so, they might never know where their friend was being held or why she'd been taken.

Rampage disclosed that this was the plan of someone called the Outcast, a character who knew Ivan and the Widow well. He then pushed a button in the center of his chest panel, setting off a damaging charge. Iceman's ice shield helped to protect his friends while Hercules stood in front of Ivan, and as it turned out, their rival took the brunt of the damage. The explosion was witnessed in the air outside the room by Darkstar and the Griffin, neither of whom made any attempt to assist their ally for hire, Rampage.

Afterward, the Champions did their best to tidy up. Ghost Rider determined that their opponent still lived, as he detected a very weak heartbeat. Ivan was enraged by their foe, who still told them very little about his boss. Ghost Rider headed for the hospital with Clarke in tow, as his teammates continued to discuss strategy.

In an old warehouse in the Venice section of L.A., the Black Widow and her former mentor Alexi Bruskin were slowly awakening. Darkstar greeted the hostages before the Titanium Man entered the room. The captives were left alone as the duo conferred with the Griffin. They were joined by the new Crimson Dynamo. The legendary suit of armor was now worn by Yuri Petrovich, who was committed to the cause of returning three defectors to their native Russia: the Widow, Bruskin, and Ivan Petrovich, his father.

By then, Ivan had created a device that would detect the black pearl that Bruskin had in his possession. He followed Iceman on one of his ice slides while Ghost Rider drove his cycle to the hospital. He reached the front doors with specific instructions to care for his passenger. Back at their base, the Angel donned an old costume left behind from his X-Men days, after Rampage's blast had left his previous uniform in tatters. 

The Angel and Hercules were about to greet the media. Moments later, the pair, along with their business manager Fenster, took to the stage. They were announcing their group, the Champions, to the public at large, when the Crimson Dynamo, the Titanium Man, and the Griffin soared down from above. 

When I first read this issue, I was a bit surprised by the decision to reveal the team without having the full complement there. It was even more puzzling to make such an announcement without their de facto leader, the Black Widow, present. I guess this was another example of the inconsistencies that this title faced with a rotating creative staff. 

It certainly didn't bode well when it appeared that the two Champions were outnumbered at the end of this story. I'll cover what happened tomorrow, in my recap of the ninth issue of the Champions. This is an all-out action issue, and we'll see what happens when Ivan learns the Crimson Dynamo's identity. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another. 

Retro Comic Recap: The Champions #7

Good morning,

Hope all's well. I'm starting the day with a summary of the seventh issue of Marvel's The Champions. The cover depicted the Griffin holding onto the Black Widow, as her teammates, the Angel, Ghost Rider, Hercules, and Iceman attempt to free her. The tale was titled "The Man Who Created the Black Widow!" The issue had a publication date of August 1976.

The story started in a cozy Los Angeles office building that also served as the Champions' temporary base of operations. Iceman and Hercules were conferring with their business manager, a man named Fenster, when a projectile crashed through the window behind them. The small missile evaded the heroes' attempts to capture it until the former X-Man (also known as Bobby Drake) encased the device in a protective shield of ice, which rammed into his Olympian friend.

The Black Widow and her friend Ivan had entered the room after hearing the initial commotion. The Widow (aka Natasha Romanov) remarked that she and Ivan were familiar with the type of weapon that had just infiltrated their headquarters. Some distance away, a man holding a picture of the two native Russians said that he was counting on their abilities.

We learned that the man was looking forward to their next meeting. He eagerly anticipated the time when all three of them would be in the same room once again. Meanwhile, at a local hospital, the Angel's lawyer was trying unsuccessfully to reason with Stuart Clarke, who was also the villain named Rampage.

Johnny Blaze was talking with Warren Worthington III (the Angel) afterwards. Warren filled his teammate in on Clarke (whom the Champions battled in the previous two issues). Afterward, Blaze transformed into the Ghost Rider, thinking that his alter ego might be able to persuade their foe, when the guards outside that door were knocked out. 

The Ghost Rider entered the room and found Clarke being carried away by Darkstar, with her partner the Griffin, moments from lunging at Blaze. Their battle enabled Darkstar to escape with Clarke, but only for the moment. A gas bottle tossed by the Angel enabled him to retrieve Stuart and fly him to the hospital rooftop.

However, Worthington was soon attacked by the very man he'd just saved, thanks to an exo-glove that Darkstar had supplied Rampage. Darkstar returned and used her powers to develop dark energy bands to incapacitate the former X-Man. Blaze got to the streets in time to see Darkstar and the Griffin flying off with Clarke.

He followed them on his motorcycle, but Darkstar's blasts of dark light created a dangerous obstacle course, one that Blaze managed to escape thanks to the Angel's assistance. Back at their headquarters, Iceman and Hercules were continuing to argue with their business manager, Fenster. Iceman (Bobby Drake) was still thinking about leaving the group once Warren had everything running smoothly. None of them knew that a fourth man was in the room with them until it was almost too late.

Fenster spotted the stranger fleeing, but when Hercules took a closer look, he discovered that it was a boy who had seen them on television and was now begging for the Champions' help. None of them actually saw the man who'd been in their base earlier, who we soon learned was Ivan's son. As for Ivan, he and Romanov were inspecting the projectile that had entered the building (at the start of this story) now that it had been disassembled.

The clue to its origin was in a black pearl that was encased inside the storage unit. Upon first glance, the Black Widow immediately knew who had sent it. She and Ivan then listened to a recording made by the man who had delivered the deadly device, someone who was very familiar with the pair. The Widow immediately jumped from the nearest window to seek a figure she'd spied from a building across from them.

It didn't take her long to come across the man who she was certain had been a former instructor. Her instincts proved to be correct, as she was now standing before a man named Bruskin, who had guided her back in her youth behind the Iron Curtain. Before Bruskin could explain why he was there, he was blasted by a bolt fired by the armored villain known as the Titanium Man. 

This was an issue that definitely raised more questions than answers. I suppose it was intended to draw more readers to the title, and adding familiar foes to the story probably helped. The Champions were still getting adjusted to being a team, and most new supergroups take some time to mesh. It felt like this story was a bit rushed, and readers were left wondering, in some cases, just what the heck was going on. 

That's it for this morning. I'll be back later today with an analysis of the eighth issue of the Champions. The group is about to formally introduce themselves to the world when danger strikes. We'll also find out what happened to the Widow and Ivan, and what role Rampage plays in this affair. Until then, have a great day and don't forget to be kind to one another. 

Retro Comic Recap: The Champions #6

Happy Saturday, folks!

Hope everyone's enjoying the weekend. Today's topic is the sixth issue of the Champions. On the cover, the new supervillain called Rampage had just defeated the Angel and Iceman and was soaring toward Hercules with the Black Widow in one arm. The story was called "Mad Dogs and Businessmen." The issue had a cover date of June 1976.

The tale began right where the last issue left off, as the Iceman, the Black Widow and her friend Ivan, and Hercules stood silently as Rampage threatened to punch a hole into the Angel's skull. Hercules was about to leap to his teammate's assistance, until a blast from the Iceman (Bobby Drake) dissuaded him. The quartet conferred long enough for their foe to drop his prey to the ground.

A plan was quickly devised, one that began with Iceman encasing Rampage in a block of ice. It was a temporary delay, but it gave the Widow and Hercules enough time to come to the Angel's aid. Rampage soon broke out of the ice block, and later hurled a nearby car at the Olympian Hercules. In the fire that followed the car's destruction, Hercules' opponent escaped from sight.

Stuart Clark was new to the villain business and was already starting to question its sustainability. He'd retreated to a local building and took off his exo-suit, which he placed in a wooden box that he carried across the street as the Champions ensured that Ivan, who'd been injured in the melee, was properly loaded into a waiting ambulance.

The Black Widow (Natasha Romanov) wanted revenge for her friend, but the Angel (Warren Worthington III) reminded her that they wanted to ensure that Rampage wouldn't hurt anyone else. The quartet (Ghost Rider/Johnny Blaze was still absent, due to events in his own title) decided that the Widow was best suited to lead their new team, based on her actions during their first battle (shown in the first three issues of this series).

Meanwhile, Clarke's antics had been recorded by a TV news crew. One of the people watching the broadcast was Stuart's former attorney, Amos Crawley (who Crawley fired last issue). By then, Clark had returned to his company, Clarke Futuristics. He was examining his exosuit when he heard the police just outside, advising him to leave the facility peacefully.

Clarke soon donned the suit and added a jetpack so that he could fly to freedom. While he was attempting to escape, the Champions were checking on Ivan, who was recovering, but doctors said that his prognosis was good. Iceman (Bobby Drake) went outside the room and heard a report that police were battling Rampage.

A short while later, Rampage not only had the law to counter, but his new foes, the Champions. The Angel struck Clarke first with a club and was just a bit faster than his opponent. Now it was the Black Widow's turn to strike. Hercules clobbered their foe, and Iceman put up an ice wall to protect his friends. 

Hercules eventually threw Rampage into a building, where he crashed through a brick wall. Knowing he was about to fail, Clarke tossed the malfunctioning jetpack at his enemies. Drake put up another ice shield just before the jetpack exploded. Clarke took the brunt of the blast and was trapped in the rubble. After the heroes departed, Crawley learned that his former client was still alive. He could use the existing power of attorney agreement to sell the company and make a nice profit, even after all existing debts were paid.

We would see Rampage return, but not very often in the pages of this series. He was an interesting concept as a character, but I don't think that he was fully fleshed out enough to become a longtime thorn in the Champions' side. I felt like he was defeated rather easily based on this short storyline. 

That's it for now. Time for me to enjoy the rest of a nice day. I'll be back tomorrow morning for a discussion of the seventh issue of the Champions. Ghost Rider returns, as the Champions start setting their affairs in order and take on new opponents. We'll also learn a bit more about the Black Widow's background. Until then, have a great weekend and don't forget to be kind to one another. 

Retro Comic Recap: The Champions #5

Happy Friday, folks!

Today's topic is the fifth issue of Marvel's The Champions. The cover showed Hercules, the Black Widow, the Angel, and Iceman battling a new foe called Rampage in the middle of a busy city street. The tale was titled "The Economy is So Bad That..." The issue had a publication date of April 1976.

The tale began inside the offices of Emerson Bale. Warren Worthington III (the Angel) and his teammate Bobby Drake (Iceman) were waiting for information about Warren's inheritance. The matter had been up in the air for a while due to Worthington's costumed identity, which was revealed in the debut issue of this series to the public. The papers Bale provided to his client showed just how much money Warren had inherited, which was more than enough to bring a smile to the lad's lips.

Elsewhere, a man named Clarke was drowning in debt. He argued with an associate named Crawley about how he'd gotten into such a mess. Clarke left his lawyer's office, determined to find some way to pay his creditors back.

At a local football field, Natasha Romanov (the Black Widow) was discussing her new group with her friend Ivan, as her fellow Champion Hercules instructed the players on the field about the finer aspects of their sport. Hercules plowed through the student athletes and made his way to the end zone, much to the laughter from the sidelines.

A few moments later, Professor Fenster arrived with the news that he'd been dismissed from UCLA after being blamed for the damage that Pluto, Ares, Hippolyta, and their minions wreaked on the campus (in the first three issues). The Angel swooped and picked him up, asking if the professor would like to be their team's finance manager. 

While the Champions were in a celebratory mood, the owner of Clarke Futuristics was anything but happy. He entered his company's headquarters and made his way to an exoskeleton that he started putting on. As he donned the gear, he had an idea to save the company. Moments later, he was flying away to take a step toward accomplishing that goal.

Warren and his friends (minus Johnny Blaze/the Ghost Rider, who was otherwise occupied with events that were occurring in his own title) were having a dinner to enjoy their good fortune. Some time later, Bobby walked along on his own, contemplating whether he would stay with the team or continue to be a superhero in general. Along the way, Drake peered into a nearby bank window to see a costumed character trying to rob it.

The Iceman instinctively leapt into action and was the first of the Champions to tackle Clarke, who now went by the moniker of Rampage. His exoskeleton was impressive, and the founding X-Man was about to be knocked out until the Angel came to the rescue. Hercules took on the challenger, but underestimated his new enemy. 

Natasha and Warren joined the battle, but none of the quartet was quite enough to defeat the mysterious villain. Even Ivan attempted to assist, but was swept aside by Rampage. The issue ended with the heroes standing in shock as their rival threatened to punch a hole through the top of the Angel's skull.

This was the first time this title's creative team attempted to devise a villain who was unique to this group. Rampage was an interesting concept, and his alter ego might have been able to stand toe to toe with people like Tony Stark or Obadiah Stane at some point. Unfortunately, he's largely viewed now as not much more than a blip on the Marvel Comics radar over their long history. 

That's all from me for today. Tomorrow, I'll discuss the second part of this saga, which was chronicled in the sixth issue of the Champions. We'll learn Warren's fate and see how his teammates adjusted to this new menace. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another. 

Retro Comic Recap: The Champions #4

Happy Thursday, folks!

It's time for me to talk about the fourth issue of the Champions. The cover showed Ghost Rider, the Angel, Black Widow, Iceman, and Hercules squaring off against each other. The story was called "Murder at Malibu!" The issue had a publication date of March 1976.

The tale began with Hercules and the Black Widow walking together along a beach. Hercules was still upset at Pluto for his treachery (as shown in the previous three issues). The Widow was trying to console her friend and fellow former Avenger.

The pair had barely walked a few more steps before they were attacked from behind by a large man. We soon learned that their assailant was a man named Billy, an older gentleman who had the strength of someone a fraction of his age. He wore a uniform from the San Marino State Hospital, and a sextet of armed guards from that very same institution soon surrounded our heroes. A few blasts from their pistols knocked out Billy's new protectors.

The Widow and Hercules awoke in the office of Mr. Ed Lansing, who was behind the efforts to recreate the same serum that gave Captain America his abilities. Lansing decided to use patients like Billy as his guinea pigs, and swiftly subjected his new captives to the same treatments. 

A short while later, at the beach home of Warren Worthington III (aka the Angel), Worthington and his former X-Men teammate Bobby Drake (Iceman) were conversing with Ivan, a friend of the Black Widow (Natasha Romanov). They were wondering about her whereabouts when Hercules burst through the wall, with the Widow and others enthralled by Lansing's serum close behind.

Ghost Rider joined the fray right before Lansing tried to use his control device against the Iceman. Romanov was the one to defeat Lansing, smashing his control box and leaving the madman at the mercy of the mutates which he now had no control over. Afterward, the Champions were glad that the conflict was over, although Hercules wished they could do more for those affected by Lansing's treatments. The Angel brought the group together, reminding his comrades that the world still needed champions.

This was an okay one-off issue, especially for a team that was so new. They had just finished their first significant challenge in the previous three issues and were still learning to work together. I always felt that if the Champions had been given enough time to gel, they could have been far more than just a footnote in Marvel Comics history. 

That's all for now. Tomorrow, I'll conclude the work week with an analysis of the fifth issue of the Champions. The new supergroup works on ways to peacefully coexist and encounters their first foe, who would be a recurring danger to the team. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another. 

Retro Comic Recap: The Champions #3

Well, we're halfway through the week already, folks!

Today's topic is the third issue of the Champions. The cover depicted Hercules, the Black Widow, Ghost Rider, and Iceman taking on Olympian warriors while Pluto and Zeus looked on. The tale was titled "Assault on Olympus!" The issue had a cover date of February 1976.

The story started at a beach house, where the Angel, Iceman, and the Black Widow were resting after their recent battle (depicted in the last issue). Iceman (Bobby Drake) was enjoying making a smooth coating of ice beneath his feet for him to skate back and forth upon. Drake used his quiet time to think about his former X-Men teammates and his new group's recent failure.

The arrival of the Ghost Rider (Johnny Blaze) disrupted the Iceman's reverie. He reminded the group of the ice mountain that his new teammate had made. He realized that it kept the portal to Olympus open after the Black Widow pointed out that fact to him. 

Meanwhile, in that fabled land, Zeus lamented the impending nuptials of his son Hercules to Hippolyta with his friend, Dionysius. Pluto, Ares, and Hippolyta were not far away. Pluto noted that the pending weddings of Hercules and Zeus would follow their laws that neither party may go against their spouse, therefore giving the villains a way to ensure Zeus' downfall.

Hercules was swarmed by guards and dismayed by the fact that his father could not intervene in the matter. Outside Olympus' woods, the Huntsman neared the artificial mountain and was surprised to see it burning. The Ghost Rider's hellfire allowed the Champions to arrive, and they immediately engaged in battle with Olympus' defenders. 

During the confrontation, Pluto's true intentions were revealed to Zeus. Ghost Rider pointed out the falsehoods to the Olympian god, who finally realized the error of his ways. He ordered Pluto to leave, effectively ending the struggle right then and there.

Although the wedding bonds were no longer valid, Venus still chose to marry Ares. She left her human identity behind, as Zeus bade farewell to his son and his friends. The quintet soon returned to the world of Hercules' mother: Earth.

Not a bad way to end the first storyline for this series. Pluto would resurface from time to time to menace other heroes. Ares would even serve as a member of Earth's Avengers for a while. Reading this issue again, I thought it would have been interesting to pair the Champions with the Defenders. Could have been an interesting team-up.

Well, that's it for now. Tomorrow, I'll discuss the fourth issue of the Champions. The team returns to Los Angeles to take on another threat. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another.