Happy Thursday, peeps!
Today's focus is on the twelfth issue of the Champions. The cover depicts Hercules being blasted by the Stranger, with the Black Widow and the Angel lying at the villain's feet. The story was called "Did Someone Say...The Stranger?" The issue had a cover date of March 1977.
The tale began back at Champions headquarters in Los Angeles, where the namesake team had just returned from an adventure in Arizona (covered last issue) to see their new ally Black Goliath battling the Stilt Man. Iceman, the Angel, Darkstar, and Hercules leapt to Goliath's aid, while the Black Widow and Ghost Rider remained in the Champions' new air car.
During the confrontation, the Stilt Man dropped his Z-ray blaster. Darkstar used her mutant powers to grab the weapon before it fell and crushed the gun. As the villain pursued Darkstar (Laynia), the woman who'd been pursued by the Stilt Man containing the weapon to Champions headquarters went back inside the building. Ghost Rider, Iceman, Black Goliath, and the Angel continued to defend their ally.
Ghost Rider's hellfire melted the tar street, trapping their foe until he dislodged himself and ran off. Black Goliath chased him while the Champions went inside to meet their guest, a woman named Reggie Clayborne. She said that she'd sought out the new team because her father, Jerry, got into some trouble and wound up stealing an item from Stark International (in issue #4 of Black Goliath's short-lived title) that she'd brought to the heroes.
Before Reggie could say anymore, the otherworldly being known as the Stranger barged into the room. He claimed that she was holding a bomb he created, one that was capable of destroying their star system. The Champions rushed to Reggie's defense and fought the being from another world while Black Goliath was occupied with defeating the Stilt Man.
The item in Reggie's bag came loose during the fracas, and it grew into something that continued to expand in size. It swallowed up Clayborne, and could soon be seen from outside the Champions' building by passersby. The Stranger tried to delay the device's growth before the group was transported to a chamber where they were surrounded by Hercules' nemesis, Kamo Tharn, and several of his allies.
This was quite a sidestep going from the Stilt Man to the Stranger. The Stranger has appeared in various Marvel mags over the years. Sometimes, he's been on the heroes' side, while in other stories, he's been one of the main antagonists. Readers were just starting to ascertain his motives in this instance when the Champions were sent to Tharn's domain. Pretty good action for a team that was still trying to establish itself.
That's all I have for you today. Hope the Microsoft global outage ends sooner rather than later. I'll be back on Friday to discuss the thirteenth issue of the Champions. We'll see what dangers Kamo Tharn has in store for his guests, and learn what roles Black Goliath and the Stranger play in the continuation of this storyline. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another.
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