The arrival of Walt Simonson on Thor was very exciting to read. In those pre-internet days, the only hint of the big changes to come story-wise and artistically was a small half page promotional ad a month or so before the first issue with the new creative team hit the stands. And what a way to hit - an amazingly powerful cover of an alien in a Thor-like outfit smashing the classic logo with a hammer of his own! I knew instantly that the status quo was being shaken up and I had to find out more.
Beta Ray Bill (real name!) got his costume and hammer in a story involving the REAL "Mighty Thor" and Mjolnir.
ReplyDeleteSimonson + Simonson! This is perfect!
ReplyDeleteDamn, didn't know Simonson drew Dr. Fate. Hell's yeah!
ReplyDeleteSolid cover Ross.
Interesting villain! It's like N'kantu the Living Mummy got ionized (a la Simon "Wonder Man" Williams). Was he a one-shot anatagonist from the actual issue?
ReplyDeleteFrom a Doctor Fate one-shot. (Maybe from the "First-Issue Special" series?) I know I read the issue when I was younger.
DeleteP.S.---for Halloween, how about Straw Man and Brother Power The Geek vs. Marvel Zombie Scarecrow (Ebenezar laughton)?
ReplyDeleteI remember well when Walt Simonson took over Thor. The story opened with Nick Fury picking up Donald Blake in his car and casually revealing that he knew Dr. Blake's "secret" identity. It felt like a whole new ball game, and it was!
ReplyDeleteRemember when comics were not done by committee and the thought that an exciting new creator might come along at any time with awesome new story lines and take established characters to new heights? Man, I miss those days!
Thank God we have this site to remind of those times.
2 Great tastes that taste Great "2gether". It's Key Shooting Time ( say it like Bullet Proof's: It's Crime Fighting Time (from the animated program C.O.P.S.)) combined with The Intergalactic Adventures of BETA RAY BIIIIIIILLLLL!!! Dun-Dun DUn Ba-da-da-da Bump! The first time I read Dr. Fate was in DC Comics Presents teamed up with Superman and I became an immediate fan. I was a Beta Ray Bill Fan from his first appearance & still am.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Kevin. :-)
ReplyDeleteAnonymous is it true that you don't forgive and you don't forget? That must be a very lonely existence, if it's true.
ReplyDeleteDocToR FaTe: They'll save the Universe after they walk the Dog. DC Comics more than Superheroes (But we've got them too.).
ReplyDeleteWell, to be fair, Beta Ray Bill did initially resemble what Logan might have looked like had the High Evolutionary made him from a real wolverine! But, after the resolution of the debut story line, I thought: "Hey! If the DCU Earth can survive with three GL's (Jordan/Gardner/Stewart...at that time), why can't Marvel Earth-616 survive two Thors?"
ReplyDeleteI suddenly have this vision of Thor meeting up with the Fraggles. "Ragnarok at Fraggle Rock!"
ReplyDeleteThis video doesn't help any.
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ReplyDeleteThe Doctor Fate image ( and the mummy) are from the Immortal Doctor Fate 3 issue mini-series that collected the back-up stories from the Flash series. My first exposure to Walter Simpson.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the additional info, Scott.
ReplyDelete@Scott: Wow, and here I was thinking those images were from First Issue Special from spring 1975. Marty Pasko was the writer I think. He introduced the Egyptian elements and the lords of order and chaos in the mix. Wonderful concepts that made him stand out from Dr. Strange. And D.C. Being DC sat on this stuff until post crisis. I remember those Flash backup stories. Though Pat Broderick did those.
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