Happy Saturday, folks!
Hope all's well with everyone. Today's focus is on the first giant-sized issue of Super Villain Team-Up. The cover depicted Namor, the Sub-Mariner, locked in combat with Doctor Doom. The first part of this tale was called "Encounter at Land's End!" The issue had a publication date of March 1975.
The story started with the Latverian monarch falling Earthward after his battle with Darkoth the Death-Demon aboard a spaceship that had just exploded. Part I of this saga, entitled "Sub-Mariner Rising!" found Doom floating unresponsive in a body of water just as a seagoing vessel approached him. The craft was driven by Namor, who found Doom and brought him onboard.
The Atlantean prince placed Doom upon a device called an electronic stimulatron. After turning the machine on, a series of electric jolts brought his former rival back to consciousness. Victor Von Doom rose, remembering the rift that had grown between him and his savior.
Both rulers of their own kingdoms were reminded of the times in the past when they fought with and against each other. The second part of the story, known as "In the Darkness Dwells Doom!" was a reprint of the classic tale from issue #20 of Subby's own title. It featured Namor's trek across New York City until he came across the Latverian consulate.
The Sub-Mariner overcame the automated defenses until Doom greeted his guest. Victor offered Namor a partnership, one that was swiftly refused. Doom then declared Namor to be a threat and dispatched his lackeys after him. After a series of battles, the Sub-Mariner emerged from the consulate, relieved to be free of the trappings of the man-made city.
During the interlude, Namor's ship continued to glide underwater. Doom considered Namor's proposal of joining forces. It was certainly tempting. However, he was reluctant to undergo any sort of partnership, thinking back to how his last such encounter fared.
Part III, entitled "This Man...This Demon!" reprinted the classic tale from Marvel Super Heroes #20, in which Doom sought assistance to finally gain a deciding victory over his old enemies, the Fantastic Four. This time, the one seeking an alliance was the magician known as Diablo.
Doom was unconvinced by the stranger's powers until he found his first love, Valeria, imprisoned by the alchemist. Seeing her again brought back memories of spending time with the girl in their youth, including the day when he and his father left their village, after the elder Doom was accused of causing the death of the Baron's wife, a fate that not even the talented man could prevent.
The two wandered for some time, until they were found later with the elder Doom in very poor condition. On his deathbed, Doom's father warned his son to protect. Victor thought that his father's last words meant to protect him, while onlookers knew that the dying man was talking about protecting the world from the one named Von Doom.
Victor was now an orphan, and quite understandably was very angry with the world. Some time later, he happened upon the magic potions left behind by his late mother. He started tinkering with them to learn more about his heritage, much to the concern of Valeria. After witnessing Victor's obsession with power, she feared that she'd lost the friend she'd known for years.
Diablo gave Doom some time to think about his suggestion. He sat alone, contemplating possible outcomes. He began to wonder if Valeria would accept him for the person he was now, including his misshapen face, which had been disfigured in an accident that occurred when Victor was in college in the U.S., trying to locate his mother's spirit.
He lashed out violently before starting to rebuild his confidence in himself and his own potential. When Diablo returned, Doom announced that he would accept the partnership for the time being. The duo went to retake Doom's castle, and Diablo suggested using Doom's time machine.
Once he was sure that Valeria was in no danger, Doom activated the device, sending his former ally many centuries in the future, to an Earth that had been effectively destroyed by decades of conflict. Afterward, Victor sought to rekindle his relationship with Valeria, only to be rebuked. Valeria loved the man Victor had once been, but that man was no longer the person who stood before her now. She left Doom alone once more.
Part IV of the tale began with Doom attacking his host when answering the question of their suggested alliance. The two titans battled as the ship soared toward an old, abandoned Atlantean base. Doom emerged from the craft and strode triumphantly to shore. Namor stayed behind in his ship, steering away from danger before swearing that he and Victor would fight side by side before long, this time to take over the planet Earth.
Doctor Doom has always been my favorite Marvel villain. He's one of the most intelligent characters in the Marvel Universe, and he never does the same thing twice. Namor is an interesting character. Much like Magneto, he's fought on the sides of good and evil on many occasions. The Sub-Mariner was one of Marvel's oldest characters. He was a member of the Invaders in the 1940s, a founding Defender, and would go on to join the Avengers and even align with the X-Men for a time, although he never really seemed to fit in with Xavier's charges very much.
This series first piqued my interest when I purchased a copy of the second issue of the regular SVTU book from the bargain box at my local comic book shop several years ago. It's a pity that it didn't last very long, but it was one of those titles that had a rotating cast of writers and artists, so I guess I'm not too surprised that it didn't manage to stay afloat for very long. There was still a lot of potential in the storylines and characters that were featured throughout its run.
That's it for now. Tomorrow, I'll discuss the second giant-size issue of Super-Villain Team-Up. True to his word, Namor did ally with Doom once more, in a full-length, brand-new story against common foes. Until then, have a great weekend and don't forget to be kind to one another.
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