This marks the sixth appearance of the Herc/Vixen team, and it looks like Mari McCabe was just a little too late in reciprocating Hercules' affections. What good is a comic book romance if you can't inject a bit of tragedy? This cover also finally allows me to include The Recorder, a character I was introduced to in the 80's Hercules Mini-Series. I always got a kick out of that guy, and I have been meaning to use him for years.
The Recorder first appeared in Lee and Kirby's Thor (#132, if I'm not mistaken). Though Layton's Hercules was the first time they were given a personality and a sense of humor.
ReplyDeleteThat's just it, Ross. Some of these comic book romances overdosed their heroes with tragedy! Especially during the Seventies and Eighties and particularly with Iron Man.*
ReplyDeleteBut, yeah, I agree with you about the Recorder. If memory serves, the first one was introduced as a robotic servant to Tana Nile, one of the Colonizers of Rigel, during one of Thor's periodic voyages on an Asgardian starjammer. This one, however, seems to have been Ultronized. I wonder why. A campaign of piecemeal revenge against the Avengers, starting with their part-time affiliates?
*At point, it seemed like his writers were killing off Tony Stark's girlfriends every three months...or less!
Ah, Herc. Can't keep this guy outta trouble.
ReplyDeleteThat's why we love him!
I always liked the Recorder, and the sometimes grim, sometimes glib, and sometimes naive facets of the character. Maybe "Memorax" will meet Marcie from the Charlie Brown comics someday. She was also this kind of bewildered, passive observer.
Then they could have a staring contest with the Watcher.
Happy Sunday folks!
A staring contest that could/should also include Little Orphan Annie (Golden Age version) and Starfire of the Teen Titans (pre-COIE).
ReplyDelete@Anonymous: that's right! Starfire originally had white eyes. Didn't she?
ReplyDeleteCary/other anon, what colour are her eyes now? The perils of reading comics in black and white reprints...
DeletePeter and Gwen would be proud of you. This would probably bring a tear to their eyes.
ReplyDelete@Anon418: The in-color reprints from the Eighties usually have them repainted as bright green to coincide with modern artistic depictions. Given that the Tamaraneans are supposed to be of feline (rather than primate) ancestry.
ReplyDelete