Retro Comic Recap: Marvel Feature #11

Hi everyone,

I'm starting a new week with a new series to cover. Most of you probably know about Marvel Two-In-One, a regular title in the 1970s and 80s that teamed the ever-loving blue-eyed Thing with different heroes. What you might not know is that the concept began in the pages of the bi-monthly series Marvel Feature.

The first three issues of this title featured the original Defenders (Doctor Strange, the Incredible Hulk, Namor the Sub-Mariner, and the Silver Surfer) before that group got its own book. The issues following that focused on the original Ant-Man, Hank Pym. The Thing made his debut in this series in issue #11, where he went up against none other than the Hulk himself. They were locked in combat on the issue's cover.

The story was called "Cry, Monster." The issue had a cover date of September 1973. It all started in the Fantastic Four's first skyscraper headquarters, the Baxter Building. Reed Richards (aka Mister Fantastic) and his brother-in-law, Johnny Storm (better known as the Human Torch), were trying to prevent the Thing/Ben Grimm from pulling apart a piece of Reed's laboratory machines.

Reed constructed the device as one of his many attempts to turn Grimm back to his regular human form. Ben wasn't having any of it. He had no desire at the time to revert to what he'd been before the fateful rocket ride into outer space that was responsible for the Fantastic Four's creation. Their origin was summarized in the first several panels of the third page. What none of them knew was that they were being observed from afar by the former master of Planet X, Kurrgo (who had only been seen before in Fantastic Four #7).

The erstwhile monarch recounted his initial visit to Earth and how Reed had tried to help his guest save his people from the possible collision of their planet with a different world. Richards had shrunk the populace down so that everyone could fit into a rocket that could deliver them all to safety. Kurrgo had stayed behind when the planet started collapsing and was trapped in the rubble. 

Kurrgo's loyal robot aide came to the rescue and delivered him to a hidden ship. They took off right before Planet X was destroyed. It took Kurrgo several years to find the new world that his people had settled on. However, by that time, they'd decided that they no longer wanted the despot to rule them. They had prepared defenses to drive Kurrgo away. He and his robot fled, but Kurggo would not forget the betrayal.

His ship now hovered over Earth. Kurrgo was searching for Earth's mightiest warriors and came upon the mighty Hulk. He was about to enlist the jade giant to his cause when the Hulk's long-time enemy, the Leader, intervened. The man who was once Samuel Sterns was encased in a cylinder aboard a ship, as he conversed telepathically with Kurrgo. 

The Leader thought that the Hulk's power could help him to recover from his paralysis. Kurrgo proposed that the two of them settle things by having two of Earth's mightiest beings battle for them. The Leader had chosen the Hulk, and Kurrgo opted for the Thing. Whichever one of them won the match would have the services of both champions and the scientific knowledge of the loser. 

The game was about to begin. Back in the Baxter Building, the Thing was about to boot the ball of mechanical junk he'd just made when he was transported into a town that seemed to be right out of the Old West. He had just gotten his bearings when an astral projection of the Leader appeared before him. 

Sterns explained that Grimm had been sent there to serve as Kurrgo's warrior, where he would be going up against his warrior, the Hulk. Ben's temper flared until the Leader showed him an Ultrex bomb that had been activated and was capable of destroying the planet in less than thirty minutes if Grimm didn't disarm its timing mechanism before then.

The Leader's image then disappeared, and Grimm was left all alone. He announced his accomplishment to Kurrgo on the spaceship, where the two villains awaited the reaction from the green-skinned hero. Grimm was still stewing in the Western town when Bruce Banner's alter ego struck the first blow. He was wondering why he'd been sent to that place to fight the Thing. 

The two engaged in a battle that knocked down much of the old buildings around them. Not even Grimm's disclosure of the bomb was enough to deter his foe. The fight continued until the Thing finally was able to subdue the Hulk temporarily. He then turned a corner, and found the bomb that the Leader had shown him, only to learn that it was a fake. 

The Hulk had returned, ready for the next round when a beam from the ship orbiting Earth's atmosphere struck him. Ben grabbed onto a green leg and ascended with him. They were then face to face with the Leader and Kurrgo. Kurrgo dispatched his faithful robot to defend them, which was knocked into part of the spaceship's controls.

Ben decided to bail out before the craft went down. The Hulk followed, and the two of them landed safely back on Earth. The ship exploded and plummeted planetward after the Hulk bounded away. The Thing was then left by himself once more. Now he just had to figure out how he'd get home. 

Even though he wasn't as popular as the Hulk (who is still my favorite Marvel hero), I still admire the Thing. He's strong but also has a good moral compass. He's not as smart as Reed, but usually manages to figure things out and has saved the day plenty of times on his own or with the assistance of other  comrades plenty of times since his creation. This was a fun yarn, one that was my introduction to Kurrgo and featured my favorite Hulk nemesis, the Leader. The Thing and the Hulk had tussled before, and would meet each other many more times as the years have gone on. 

Tomorrow, I'll discuss the final Thing tale from Marvel Feature before he was given his own magazine. Marvel Feature #12 has Grimm teaming up with Iron Man. The two heroes take on a twin terror, and this issue has one of the earliest appearances of a well-known foe who's probably best known lately for his roles in Marvel Cinematic Universe films. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another. 

Retro Comic Recap: Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade #4

Good afternoon all,

I'm closing out the weekend with a summary of the final issue of Marvel's adaptation of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. The cover showed Indy duking it out with a Nazi officer atop a German tank. The tale began with Indiana and his father flying in a pirated biplane with a trio of German fighters in hot pursuit. 

Indiana was piloting the getaway vehicle, and his father manned the gunner's seat. He eventually figured out how to use the guns, but accidentally managed to shoot their tail flap, which he blamed on their opponents. The plane landed shortly thereafter, and our heroes commandeered a car, which they used to evade one of the planes that tried to fly through a commuter tunnel.

The elder Jones used his remembrance of Charlemagne to draw the attention of several birds flitting around the beach, several of which caused one of the German fliers to lose sight of his targets and crash explosively. They later reached Iskenderun, where Sallah gave them the bad news about Marcus Brody's kidnapping (as shown in the last issue). 

They followed the Nazi entourage, which now included a large tank. The heavy vehicle spotted the trio's car and knocked it out of commission. However, the Nazis now had to be concerned about the Americans and their ally, and the Brotherhood of the Cruciform Sword (who we saw in issue #2 of this miniseries, back in Venice). 

In all the confusion, Jones Sr. found Brody in the belly of the tank. The two old chums later escaped after Indy fought off several SS soldiers. Indiana was still locked in battle with one of them right before the tank careened off a nearby cliff. 

Sallah, Marcus, and Indy's father watched from the cliffside, thinking that the American professor had been lost for good. They were mourning when Indy crawled up, wondering what all the fuss was about. His father hugged him, and they later followed the German forces on horseback.

Both parties found the secret canyon and the temple within. The villains were trying to reach the chamber where the Holy Grail was kept, but with little success. Indy and his companions were soon apprehended by the Nazi sympathizers. Walter Donovan convinced the younger Jones to volunteer after shooting his father in the chest.

Indiana used his father's grail diary to pass through the traps that lay within. He found the last remaining knight inside a small room. Jones was allowed to search for the cup of Christ. Elsa Schneider and Donovan followed after Indy had reached the area. Walter chose a rather majestic-looking chalice. He dipped it into the fountain and soon learned that he'd made the wrong choice, as his body began to atrophy until it disintegrated.

Indy then found what seemed to be a carpenter's cup and tested it. The knight confirmed that he'd chosen wisely. He then took the cup to his father to heal his wound. They observed the knight standing silently behind him, serving as a reminder that the grail could not cross the seal carved into the floor. 

Elsa tried to leap for the cup after the ground beneath them started to split, but she fell into the abyss. Indy was tempted to do the same, until the gentle words of his father brought him back to reality. The quartet then departed just as the temple collapsed behind them. They rode off into the sunset together as the story came to an end. 

The last five pages of this issue were reserved for ad space. If those pages were dedicated to content, this adaptation probably could have been published in three issues instead of four. The only problem I had regarding this issue's content was that they skipped the reason why the younger Jones was called Indiana. I get that not everything could be included, but I felt that was an important part of his lore. Nonetheless, it was still a satisfying adaptation of the third Indiana Jones flick. 

This was the last Indiana Jones comic book published by Marvel. Dark Horse acquired the publishing rights in the 1990s and distributed their own stories, along with collections of the original Marvel ongoing title, from 1994 to 2010. There haven't been any other Indy comics published since then. I think that it would be interesting to revisit the original series and produce new content that features the primary main and supporting characters, as well as some of the more memorable characters from the regular series' run. Maybe that will happen someday. Time can only tell.

That's all I have today. Tomorrow, I'll begin a new series. This one will feature a well-known member of the Marvel universe, one who stands out for his distinctive powers and abilities, and his long-standing feud with the Yancy Street Gang. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another. 

Retro Comic Recap: Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade #3

Good afternoon,

Hope everyone's having a great weekend. Time for me to recap the third issue of Marvel's adaptation of the 1989 film Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. The cover depicted Indy and his father tied to chairs together with flames spreading around them. The third chapter began with Nazi soldiers bursting into the room where father and son had just reunited. One of them asked for the grail diary, which Indy had been carrying.

His father had mailed the book to him, thinking that it would be safe. Indiana took advantage of their open quarrel to distract the Germans and steal one of their machine guns. They left the room, but soon ran into more Nazis, one of whom was holding Doctor Elsa Schneider hostage. Indy lowered the gun right before Schneider took the book from him. 

She led them to her leader, who was sitting before a fireplace. The host stood up and revealed himself as Walter Donovan (whom we met in the first issue). He'd warned Indy not to trust anyone, and that turned out to be an important warning. Elsa paged through the book and noticed the map was missing. She realized that Indy had given those pages to Marcus Brody. Indiana talked up Brody's talents, which were far more impressive than his actual skills.

At that time, Brody had just arrived in Iskenderun and met Sallah. They were swiftly met by foes, who Sallah fought off. Marcus ran right into the back of a waiting truck that had been camouflaged behind a merchant table. 

Donovan and Schnieder left the Americans tied up together in chairs facing opposite walls. They left to pursue the Holy Grail. Indiana had his dad reach for the lighter in his jacket pocket. The elder Jones found it, but fumbled it as it lit, and soon started the carpet ablaze. They hopped toward a platform that spun into the Nazi control room before spinning back to their original position. 

The curious soldiers who emerged from the secret door were overwhelmed by the flames, allowing Indy and his father to escape. They soon found a hidden staircase that led to a pier. Indiana started a boat to serve as a decoy while they fled on a motorcycle that had a sidecar. 

They eventually stopped when Jones' father argued that they had to retrieve the book. Indiana questioned that, knowing that they had to help Marcus. The older Jones pressed the issue, noting that his diary contained information about the traps that they would encounter once they reached the Grail's location. 

Indy changed course, and the pair set off for Berlin. Indiana was able to disguise himself as an SS officer and grab the book from Elsa. He then turned around and faced none other than Adolf Hitler, who stared for a moment before signing the book that was before both of them. The Joneses were then headed for an airfield to depart via zeppelin.

As they waited for takeoff, Indiana noticed the soldiers' presence. He took out a few stragglers before their departure. He and his dad were able to relax for a bit until the younger Jones figured out that they were heading back to Germany. He grabbed his father and set out for the small plane that had been attached to the larger craft.

He detached the biplane and took the controls. His father was in the gunner's seat, and the two of them flew off. Minutes later, a trio of German military planes swooped toward them.

The last five pages of this issue were occupied with paid and house ads. That's my only real complaint for this series. I felt that the writing and art were solid and consistent throughout. There were some parts omitted due to the ages of the series' target audience, but otherwise, this adaptation was very true to the source material. 

That's all I have for you today. Tomorrow, I'll discuss the last issue of this miniseries. We'll find out what happened to the Jones boys and learn where Marcus ended up. We'll also see if Donovan, Schneider, and company were able to reach the Grail's hiding place and just what they discovered. Until then, have a great weekend and don't forget to tbe kind to one another. 

Retro Comic Recap: Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade #2

Good morning,

Hope all's well. I'm starting my weekend with a discussion of the second issue of Marvel's limited series adaptation of the movie Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. The cover showed Indy and Doctor Elsa Schneider standing before a skeleton resting in a tomb with scads of rats looking on. 

The story began with Indiana driving home. He was concerned after learning from Walter Donovan (last issue) that his father had gone missing while serving as their project lead for the quest for the fabled Holy Grail. He and Marcus Brody arrived to find a mess. The house had been ransacked, and someone had rifled through Indy's mail.

Jones then remembered the book he'd picked up in his mail at Marshall College earlier in the day. It had been sent from Venice, Italy. He unwrapped the package and saw that it was his father's grail diary. Indiana decided to take Donovan up on his offer. Before he boarded the plane bound for Italy, Walter warned him to not trust anyone. Those words would later prove to be rather prophetic.

Jones and Brody arrived in Venice a short while later and were greeted by Doctor Elsa Schneider. She'd worked with Indiana's father and was surprised by his sudden disappearance. They headed toward the library, which was the last place that Elsa had seen Indy's father. She held out a note with the Roman numerals III, VII, and X printed on it. The three and seven could be found inside the library, which was once a Franciscan monastery.

Indiana deduced that the tomb had to be somewhere in the library. He ascended a spiral staircase and saw the Roman numeral ten printed on the floor they'd just been walking across. It turned out that X did mark the spot in this instance. Jones returned to the floor and pried a portion loose to reveal a tunnel underneath.

He and Elsa descended into the sewer. A lit match kept most of the rodent occupants at bay. They found a torch, which they used to locate the tomb. Inside was the body and shield of the second warrior. Indiana used paper and chalk to make a quick rubbing of the inscriptions carved into the tomb's cover before the waters behind them went up in flames. 

The duo had to overturn the tomb and use it as cover until they could swim to safety. Schneider and Jones eventually found a staircase that brought them up to the city streets. From there, they engaged in a race with a boat whose riders were shooting at them. They jumped into another similar boat and followed. 

Indy finally managed to grab their attacker, who disclosed that he was a member of the Brotherhood of the Cruciform Sword, and that their organization stood to preserve the grail's secrets for a thousand years. Indy let the man go when they neared a dock. After informing the stranger he was there to find his father, Indy was told that he was being held in Brunwald Castle, on the German-Austrian border. 

Later that evening, Indiana convened with Marcus. They discussed the day's events, including the term Alexandretta, which was a city that had been demolished by the Knights of the First Crusade centuries ago. They also talked about Iskendrun and the fact that Jones' father knew the route but had no place names to identify. Marcus was to head to Iskenduren in the morning to meet with Sallah. Indy was going after his father.

Indy and Elsa arrived at the castle the following day. Their disguises were seen through by the butler, but Indiana knocked him out so they could enter the gates. It didn't take long for them to see Nazi soldiers or figure out where Indiana's father was being held. Indy used his whip to crash through the prisoner's room and was promptly hit on the head by his dad, who thought the intruder was another Nazi officer at first.

They caught up for a few minutes, and Indy filled his father in on his recent discoveries. The elder Jones was grateful that he'd mailed his grail diary to his son so that it would be out of the hands of their enemies. Indy was thinking about that just as more S.S soldiers burst through the room. 

I was hoping for a bit more content, but the last five pages of this issue were dedicated to ad space. I felt like this adaptation was rather faithful to the film. There were a few minor changes, but overall it followed the movie very well. David Michelinie and Bret Blevins made a good team, and it was apparent that they took the source material seriously. I remember watching the castle scenes and describing them to my brother in the theater, knowing that I'd be in that portion of the world the following summer for a while. Even though the castles and other historic buildings I visited that summer after graduating from high school were nothing like the ones in this film, it gave me something to look forward to with optimism.

That's all I have for this morning. Later today, I'll cover the third issue of this miniseries. We'll find out what happened to the Jones boys and see just who they could trust. We'll also learn what happened to Marcus and Sallah, and a lot more. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another. 

Retro Comic Recap: Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade #1

Happy Friday!

It's time for me to talk about Marvel's adaptation of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. This was covered in a Marvel Super Special and a four-issue limited series. I only have the limited series in my collection, so I'll start my coverage by recapping the first issue, which showed young Indy squaring off against a lion, with an image of Harrison Ford's Indy in the background. By the way, the picture of Jones in the top left box is a different image of the American archaeologist, for the first time, since Marvel's publishing rights to the character began in 1981. 

After the splash page, the story started in Utah in 1912. Young Indiana Jones was part of a scout troop that was riding past a rock formation. The group stopped, and Indy took some time to tend to his friend Herman, who had taken ill. The duo separated from the main group and spied on some treasure hunters. Indy noticed that the men had found the Cross of Coronado, which had been given to Cortés in 1520. Its unearthing proved that Coronado had been looking for the fabled seven cities of gold.

Indiana sent his friend to warn the scoutmaster and alert the authorities. He then crept down to retrieve the treasure, but his act didn't go unnoticed. The lad from the cave eventually managed to return to his horse. The animal wasn't much of a match for the vehicles that pursued them, but Jones saw a circus train before them and leapt at the opportunity to evade his foes.

He made his way across the train, landing in a pit of snakes in one car and grabbing a whip to fend off a lion in another. Indy was finally forced topside by the thieves, but a snake hidden in his sleeve kept them from regaining the cross. Indy escaped and high-tailed it on foot to his family home. Inside, his father was at his desk, preoccupied with his latest translation efforts. The elder Jones told the youth to wait and count to twenty in Greek.

Indiana saw a car arrive and ran to tell them what had happened. The constable listened, taking the cross from him, which he gave to the man who had just found it. He smiled, put his fedora on the teenager's head, and informed him that he'd lost that day, but it didn't mean that he had to like it.

The attention then shifted several years later, as Indy was on a boat in the middle of a storm, having to surrender the same item again to the cross's owner. This time he took advantage of the inclement weather and choppy waters to free himself. Jones grabbed the cross before jumping overboard, just as the barrels of fuel ignited and presumably sank the ship and its crew.

Indy caught the attention of an American freighter and returned to his teaching position at Marshall College in Connecticut a few days later. He wrapped up his lecture by informing his students that most of their work would be done researching in the library, that archaeologists followed facts, and that "X" never marked the spot. 

After the bell rang, Jones handed the cross to his colleague Marcus Brody. Brody was pleased with the results of Indy's excursion and allowed him to return to his office, where several frantic students and many messages were waiting for him. Indiana told the secretary to take names and that he'd see each pupil in turn. He then closed the door behind him and started sifting through the mail.

A small package from Venice intrigued him. He decided to slip out the window, putting the parcel in his suit pocket. As he walked, the professor was approached by a car. The pistol in the passenger's jacket convinced Indy that they wouldn't take no for an answer to their invitation to join them.

Some time later, Jones was greeted by Walter Donovan. Indiana was familiar with the man, noting his generous contributions to the National Museum's collection. His benefactor then pulled aside a sheet, and Jones peered at a stone tablet that lay beneath it. He identified it as something that had been constructed during the mid-twelfth century.

Indiana started translating the inscriptions, which talked about the Holy Grail, a historical artifact that his father had spent most of his career searching for. The grail had supposedly been lost for a thousand years before three brothers who were Knights of the First Crusade discovered it. Two of those brothers walked out of the desert. Only one survived the journey, and his tale was told to a Franciscan friar.

The book in Donovan's hands was the manuscript from that friar. It didn't disclose the grail's location, but indicated several markers that had been made. The tablet Indy had just read was one of the markers. The second one had been entombed with the brother who didn't make it through the desert. Donovan's project leader believed that marker to be in the city of Venice, Italy. 

The final brother was rumored to be the grail's keeper. Donovan had asked for Indiana's assistance because their project leader had gone missing. Neither his colleague, Doctor Schneider, nor anyone else on the team knew of his whereabouts. He then disclosed that Indy's father was their project leader. 

Bret Blevins was a good choice for the art duties on this adaptation. His work matched David Michelinie's script and was easy to follow and understand. Looking back, I wish he had been assigned to the regular monthly Indiana Jones title before it was cancelled. He captured the essences of both the young and Professor Indy perfectly. 

That's all I have for now. I'll begin the weekend with a discussion of the second issue of this adaptation. We'll find out what happened to Jones when he traveled to Venice in an attempt to unravel the mystery and locate his father. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another. 

Retro Comic Recap: The Further Adventures of Indiana Jones #34

Well, folks,

We made it! It's time for me to talk about the thirty-fourth and final issue of The Further Adventures of Indiana Jones. The cover showed Ian Soames using his sorcerous powers to blast bolts of energy at Indiana and Amanda Knight. The story was named "Something's Gone Wrong Again!" The issue had a cover date of March 1986.

The tale began on Estry Island in the Orkneys in 1937. Jones and Knight were at the mercy of the wizard who'd conjured long-dead soldiers to rise from their graves and protect him. I know this sounds more like something out of a Conan the Barbarian comic book, but please bear with me. The sorcerer wore an amulet around his neck that Knight had stolen from Marshall College's National Museum in Connecticut (in issue #32), but Amanda observed its ineffectiveness in moonlight as she tore it from Soames' neck. 

As she ran off, the skeleton warriors who'd attacked Jones disappeared back into the ground. A few minutes later, Indiana ran into the hermit Angus once more (they met last issue). He claimed to have sent the undead back to their resting spots. Indy assumed that Soames was using the ley lines to wreak havoc. 

The duo returned to Angus' cabin on the beach and soon realized they were not alone. Amanda had been hiding in a trunk. She'd been unable to get to her plane, saying that Soames was preventing her escape. Indiana took the amulet back from her, which was also referred to as the Eye of Shamash, the Sumerian sun god. The eye was supposedly used to eradicate the legendary seven sorcerers by using the sun's power. That gave Indy an idea.

He figured that Soames had no defense against radiation that was produced by light going through the amulet. As he pondered, Knight prepared to slip out, only to find Soames waiting for them just outside the small cabin's door. Indiana used a lantern to project light through the amulet as his foe, damaging the amulet in the process. Soames claimed that only natural light could be used without destroying the Eye of Shamash, and he was determined that his opponents would never see sunlight again.

Angus then rose to the challenge. He was powerful, but not enough to defeat Soames. Indy and Amanda fled on foot, heading toward the town. When they arrived, a man named Sinclair confronted Jones, holding the American's whip in one hand. He and his followers claimed that the professor was looking for the treasures of Mangus Redhand, a Viking pirate who had stolen valuables from Mediterranean ships in the tenth century. Jones recounted the tales told about him, but hadn't thought about that historical figure until just then.

By then, Soames had returned to the town and made accusations against the newcomers. He demonstrated his destructive powers, which allowed Jones and Knight to escape and reach the lighthouse. The two then quarreled about what to do next. Amanda wanted to depart via her plane, but Indy asserted that the lighthouse should be destroyed. She reluctantly agreed, right before more skeleton soldiers popped up from underground. 

The duo ran up to the lighthouse's tower and were safe for a short while. Indiana tossed the amulet out the window and had Amanda point the tower's beacon toward it. The light shone on the icon and caused Soames and his forces to weaken. The beam also started to damage the building, which began to collapse. Jones reached for his trusty whip and flung them to safety before the top portion of the lighthouse fell apart.

Soames had made one last incantation before the destruction. The next morning, Jones awoke on the beach, with Amanda standing over him, holding the amulet in one hand. They argued once more before Knight left for her plane. Indy was left with the cracked amulet, wondering what happened to Soames. As he walked away, we saw a skeleton dressed in what appeared to be Soames' garb lying amidst the rubble. 

As you can likely guess, I wasn't very impressed with this storyline. It ended without accomplishing very much, and the title's cancellation left several plot threads dangling. I wondered what happened to Angus. Indy and Amanda heard a piercing scream as they ran to the village, but we don't know the old man's final fate. This was another example of a Marvel book that struggled to find continuity and regular readership when it changed writers and artists frequently. No writer/penciler/inker combo stayed on this series for more than three issues in a row. Comic book fans want to immerse themselves in stories that appeal to them and relate well to the main and supporting characters. There were many new characters introduced during this title's run, but far too often, the more memorable ones were forgotten as soon as a new writer and/or artist jumped on board. At least, that's my observation. You may have differing opinions on the matter. Feel free to let me know what you think. 

Tomorrow, I'll begin my recap of Marvel's adaptation of the 1989 film Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. This was chronicled in a Marvel Super Special and a four-part limited series, and they were the first Indiana Jones comics published in three years. I'll cover the first part in my next blog post. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another. 

Retro Comic Recap: The Further Adventures of Indiana Jones #33

Good afternoon,

We're halfway through the week! Time for me to recap the thirty-third issue of Marvel's The Further Adventures of Indiana Jones. The cover depicted Indy battling skeleton warriors while an unnamed man and woman stood in the background. The tale was titled "Magic, Murder and the Weather!" The issue had a cover date of January 1986. 

Doctor Jones had just arrived at Croydon Aerodrome in England when he was questioned by Scotland Yard detectives Clyde and Percy. They knew that the professor was there to find Amanda Knight, a professional thief who had stolen an amulet from the National Museum at Marshall College in Connecticut (as shown in the previous issue).

Knight was a British citizen, and the detectives wouldn't allow the archaeologist to tromp all over their nation in search of her if there were no charges against her that could be verified. They advised Indy to take a holiday. None of them knew that Knight was meeting her contact on an island in the Orkneys, just north of Scotland.

She supplied the shadowed figure with the amulet she'd purloined and added that she was unable to find the tablet she'd been told about. Her mysterious benefactor was angered by the news, stating that the tablet had to be destroyed because if anyone else found one of the tablets and learned about its legend, it could spell the end of the seven sorcerers and their towers. 

A few days later, Indiana was guided toward a boarding house on Estray Island. He stopped at the local watering hole before checking in, and soon learned that archaeologists weren't welcome there. Jones was surprised to hear that his old rival Belloq (whom we remember from Raiders of the Lost Ark) had once visited but found nothing. 

Jones was then greeted by Ian Soames, keeper of the local lighthouse. He welcomed the guest and sent him on his way. Outside the tavern, townspeople expressed their disdain. Soames tried to convince them that the American knew nothing about their secret and that he wasn't a significant concern. 

Indy made it to his room and thought that the bottle of Scotch that Soames had gifted him would make a nice present for his board trustee, Tavistock. He peered out the window and saw several citizens wielding shovels and heading toward the moors. Jones decided to follow them until he was struck with a dowsing rod by an old man.

The resident accused Indiana of theft, but ceased his ranting when his stick was taken from him. Something had clearly scared the white-haired man, and Jones wanted to know the cause. However, he decided it could wait. The man said that the lines could be traced by someone who knew how to use a dowsing rod correctly. 

Indiana returned to his room and talked to Soames over breakfast the next morning. Soames told him that the man he'd encountered the night before was named Angus, and he was thought to be a crazy old witch who lived on the beach. Indy didn't take everything he'd just been told as truth, but was still curious enough to want to know more.

He returned to the area later in the day and gave the dowsing rod back to Angus. The old man was thrilled, but started to panic when he felt that evil was afoot. He walked off with the dowsing rod and explained leylines to his guest. He said they were hidden lines spread across the planet that ancient people knew of and constructed places of worship where the lines crossed, like the one they had just reached.

Angus was spooked once more and ran off. Indiana had almost begun to believe his words, and he saw a light in the near distance that sent him running to the cliffside. The light had been reflected from the front propeller of a plane. Inside the cockpit was an ID card with Knight's photo. 

It seemed apparent that the locals were trying to keep Knight's whereabouts a secret, so he retired to his room that evening. Jones drew the attention of a few residents, who started a scuffle with the American. Indy was tossed out a window, and his attackers started searching for him. Indiana grabbed one of their shotguns and made a beeline for the lighthouse. 

A piercing scream came from the building before Jones entered. He soon found a trapdoor that led him to Knight, who was bound and gagged, tied to a chair. Indiana removed the gag. Knight confessed that she'd given the amulet she'd stolen to the sorcerer and begged for help. Indy was initially hesitant, but had a change of heart and released her.

Knight threw the chair at Jones before running off. Indiana followed her and found the sorcerer, who revealed himself as Soames. He tossed the amulet to Indy, but Jones wasn't about to leave without the girl. Soames admitted that he was a spiritual brother of the wizard in Iran (shown in issue #28), one of the legendary seven sorcerers from the seven towers.

Soames had the eye of Shamash. He'd given Indiana a fake amulet, and it seemed that the old tales were true. The winds whipped around the chamber, and the bodies of warriors long dead started to rise from the earth Jones and his companions stood on. 

 It's obvious to me that writer Linda Grant didn't fully understand Indiana Jones' background. The stories she crafted usually dealt with supernatural items or plots that weren't related to the kinds of things that fans of his movies were typically accustomed to. It didn't seem like Marvel cared very much either, probably since they were planning to cancel the book anyway. I understand why people lost interest. If you're not going to stick to the main character's core concepts, diehard fans will find something else to occupy their time with. 

Knight had potential, but the mystic nature of Soames just didn't sit right with me. I would have preferred a tale that delved into the history of artifacts that more people knew about, or even something that was just made up but could be convincing enough to persuade readers of its possibility. Penciler Steve Ditko was good at stories like this that involve magic, but once again, his artwork seemed rather dated for the 1980s. I know that fans were clamoring for Marion Ravenwood's return, but the book was cancelled before that could happen. 

Tomorrow I'll recap the thirty-fourth and final issue of this ongoing series. We'll find out what happened to Indy and Amanda, and learn a bit more about Soames' true intentions. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another.