Site Updates Archive

Black Widow as You’ve Never Seen Her Before!

BLACK WIDOW & HAWKEYE (2024) #1 is a team-up with a twist: Natasha now has a symbiote to do the dirty work for her, to Hawkeye’s dismay!

Our survey of individual Defenders resumes with the Beast and UNCANNY ORIGINS #6 gives us the short version of his origin! Uncanny!

THOR #67! And here we go: the start of the Reigning, Thor’s plan to conquer the world and rule over it from Asgard!

WWH AFTERSMASH: WARBOUND #2 sees Hulk’s wartime henchmen trapped in the Leader’s Gammaworld!

The upgraded CAPTAIN AMERICA AND THE FALCON (1968) #134 pits Harlem’s newest superhero team against a drug dealer called Stone-Face!

And Anthony Silvestro brings us these goodies: UNCANNY X-MEN #262-263, the saga of Forge and the new Morlocks, and AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #161-162, Spidey joins Nightcrawler and the Punisher against Jigsaw!

PeterS

Avengers Arena gets (more) serious

T Vernon's AMAZING ADVENTURES #22 starts a 3-issue arc of Killraven in War Of The Worlds adding new char Mint Julep and others. But they're not full-length tales and each issue is rounded out by a reprint of a 'Monster Mag' story.

FANTASTIC FOUR #42 continues the fight against the Frightful Four with the 'evilised' Thing. And then Human Torch is turned against his team too.

ANNIHILATION: HERALDS OF GALACTUS #2 really *is* the end of the Annihilation event, with aftermath tales of Firelord and Silver Surfer.

AVENGERS ARENA #8-9 begins a 5-issue arc called Game On. In these 2 issues most of the abducted teens get together and Apex's personality count and body count both increase.

--RobFJ

The End of the Defenders…and the End of Cap!?!

The brand new CAPTAIN AMERICA #15 has Cap facing the Red Skull on the battlegrounds of Hell itself! Next up: Mephisto!

THE NEW DEFENDERS #152 brings the series to a close pitting the team against their former member Moondragon for an epic final battle!

THOR #66 features an attempt to assassinate Thor—with a nuclear weapon!

FURY/BLACK WIDOW: DEATH DUTY sends Natasha back to her Russian homeland to find the mysterious vigilante called the Night Raven!

And SPIDER-MAN AND THE INCREDIBLE HULK (Dallas Times Herald) pits Spidey and the Big Green Guy against Sandman in the Texas oil fields in a 1980s advertising supplement!

And Anthony Silvestro brings us these goodies: UNCANNY X-MEN #261, Wolverine, Psylocke, and Jubilee versus the Harriers, AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #159, Spidey and Doc Ock versus Hammerhead, and ASM #160, Spidey versus the Spider-Mobile!?!

PeterS

Ch-ch-ch-changes

In the new QUEEN IN BLACK: DEFENDERS OF LIGHT AND DARK #2 Cloak & Dagger endure a cosmic trial by the In-Betweener before returning to the battle against Hela and Knull with enhanced powers.

T Vernon does AMAZING ADVENTURES #21 where the Killraven series gets a regular writer Don McGregor (also scripting Black Panther in Jungle Action at this time, along with lots of stuff in Marvel Magazines) and a new regular char Carmilla Frost.

FANTASTIC FOUR #41 starts a 3-issue tale where the Frightful Four turn Thing evil and against his teammates.

ANNIHILATION: HERALDS OF GALACTUS #1 has 2 post-Annihilation Wave tales which follow Terrax (with Paibok and the Delinquent) to a planet ruled by the Space Parasite (who?!), and reveal the origin of Stardust (alongside Galactus).

AVENGERS ARENA #7 pauses the current storyline to tell us how Arcade's new assistant Miss Coriander gave him his new Murder World and his seeming superpowers.

--RobFJ

Can Thor Raise the Dead? And Other Burning Questions!

WORLD WAR HULK AFTERSMASH: WARBOUND #1 is a mouthful of a title and a tie-in to an older event! SHIELD is on the trail of Hulk’s faithful warriors and an even bigger menace is after them too!

THOR #65 asks the epic question: Since Thor is a god, can he raise the dead?

There’s an underground menace? Who you gonna call? BLACK WIDOW & THE MARVEL GIRLS #4 teams Natasha with Storm and…the Mole Man?!? And you won’t believe how it ends!

THE NEW DEFENDERS #151 pits the team against their most obnoxious enemy—who? Manslaughter!

WOLVERINE: WEAPONS OF ARMAGEDDON #4 wraps up the miniseries that explains why the new Captain America, Dave Colton, has such extreme powers!

And Anthony Silvestro brings us these goodies: UNCANNY X-MEN #259, Colossus fights some bad guys in New York City, UXM #260, Dazzler has a deadly stalker, and AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #157-158, Doc Ock haunted by the ghost of Hammerhead!

PeterS

Dr Doom and Annihilus defeated but it's not over

New QUEEN IN BLACK #3 continues to cover the activities of Hela's Symbiote forces on Earth, especially her attempt to get hold of Dylan Brock, the Prince In Black.

In AMAZING ADVENTURES #20 T Vernon relates how Killraven and his Freemen's fight against the Martians leads them into a trap.

FANTASTIC FOUR #40 brings the fight of the team plus Daredevil against Dr Doom to a conclusion with an epic battle between Doom and Thing. But Ben Grimm quits the FF because he'd been forced to give up his humanity again.

ANNIHILATION #6 concludes the main Annihilation Wave event title with the death (and rebirth) of Annihilus, but Ravenous and the Wave still in charge of much of 'local' space.

AVENGERS ARENA #6 brings most of the surviving teens together to witness Apex admit her crimes and Anachronism behead Kid Briton.

--RobFJ

Thor Hits a Major Milestone!

And that issue is #800 by the legacy numbering! The extra-large issue features the next chapter of Mortal Thor and a couple of offbeat backup stories!

AVENGERS: ARMAGEDDON #3 continues the current epic event with the superpowered Captain America (David Colton) going out of control, trying to destroy all weapons in the world!

SPECIAL EDITION: SPIDER-MAN AND THE HULK #1 is a newspaper giveaway from 1980, teaming the two heroes for some Hulk mayhem! Sorry about the cover!

THE NEW DEFENDERS #150 is another special issue (from 1985) with the team going into deep space to battle the Star-Thief! Plus “Sassafras, the Dog Filled with Fear!”

BLACK WIDOW & THE MARVEL GIRLS #3 teams Natasha with the original Ms. Marvel as she and Carol battle terrorists in Israel!

And Anthony Silvestro brings us these goodies: UNCANNY X-MEN #257-258, Wolverine, Jubilee, and Psylocke versus the Mandarin and the Hand, AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #155, a weird whodunit, and ASM #156, the wedding of Betty Brant and Ned Leeds!

PeterS

The Annihilation War is nearly over but it's early days for the War Of The Worlds

In QUEEN IN BLACK #2 Hela is prevented from carving her runic symbol writ large on the Earth but the Symbiote Intelligence and Noh-Varr get hold of Dylan Brock, the Prince In Black, for her.

In T Vernon's AMAZING ADVENTURES #19 Killraven and his Freemen are captured by some Sirens but escape from the gladiatorial games. And this series gets the spotlight because it didn't get it last week.

In FANTASTIC FOUR #39 Daredevil leads the powerless team against Dr Doom in their own HQ, the start of an elegantly simple but powerful 2-issue story.

In ANNIHILATION #5 Drax frees Galactus, and Ronan kills the current Kree rulers (and the deposed Supreme Intelligence) leaving himself in charge.

And AVENGERS ARENA #5 concentrates on the Braddock Academy kids who split up while Cammi and the Runaways team up, successfully this time.

--RobFJ

The Real Hulk is Back! And a Bit Different!

In brand new INFERNAL HULK #10, the evil Hulk is heading for Washington and New York but not to worry: Bruce Banner is Hulk again! And he’s gray again!

In THOR (1998) #64, Thor’s new worshipers clash with the more traditional types! And it's all Loki's fault, of course! He's on the cover!

THE NEW DEFENDERS #149 presents us with the “origin” of Cloud and it’s a strange one!

BLACK WIDOW & THE MARVEL GIRLS #2 has BW and Wasp seeking to escape from Latveria with Doctor Doom on their tail!

The upgraded CAPTAIN AMERICA (1968) #133 sees MODOK sending a giant android to wreck Harlem as revenge against Cap and the Falcon! Plus, MODOK’s origin is revealed!

And Anthony Silvestro brings us these goodies: UNCANNY X-MEN #256, Psylocke is brainwashed into being an Asian ninja which is how most people remember her, AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #153, a poignant tragedy centering on a kidnapping, and ASM #154 wherein Sandman returns to give Spidey some headaches!

PeterS

Read all about it! Drax kills Thanos!

The new IRON MAN #8 pits our hero and the mysterious Citizen V against 2 Whiplash's.

The nearly-new QUEEN IN BLACK: DEFENDERS OF LIGHT AND DARK #1 has Iron Man and Beta Ray Bill leading 2 teams against Knull and Hela.

The perennial T Vernon heads off in a bold new direction as AMAZING ADVENTURES #18 begins the saga of Killraven and the War Of The Worlds.

In the quite-old FANTASTIC FOUR #38 the Frightful Four, in only their 2nd outing, rob the FF of their powers.

And in the middle-aged ANNIHILATION #4 Thanos dies for the 2nd time, this time at the hands of his nemesis Drax The Destroyer. But unfortunately just before he was about to set Galactus free to destroy Annihilus and the Annihilation Wave.

--RobFJ

More Armageddon Related Stuff!

Brand new CAPTAIN AMERICA #14 has Cap leading the forces of Hell against, er, the other forces of Hell! It’s better than it sounds!

Sort of new WOLVERINE: WEAPONS OF ARMAGEDDON #3 fills us in on the new Captain America as Logan has Nuke on his tail!

BLACK WIDOW & THE MARVEL GIRLS #1 was a team-up book starring Natasha! For the first entry they match her with…the Enchantress!?!

In THOR #63, “The Reigning” continues as King Thor helps out a poverty-stricken town and attracts worshippers!

THE NEW DEFENDERS #148 features the return of the wacky Cutlass and Typhoon (and the even wackier Rufus T. Hackstabber) in another parody of pulp adventures from the 1930s!

And Anthony Silvestro brings us a pair of two-parters: UNCANNY X-MEN #254-255, the Muir Island X-Men are formed to battle the Reavers, and AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #151-152, Len Wein takes over as writer, bringing back the Shocker!

PeterS

Dark vs light but all in colour

QUEEN IN BLACK #1 starts a new event where Tony Stark leads the defence of Earth when Hela with the power of Knull and Knull with the power of light fight over the planet with symbiote armies.

T Vernon finishes the 2 Ultimate Iron Man mini-series with v2 #5. This is also the end of T's IM odds & sods. Next week he'll head off in a totally new direction.

FANTASTIC FOUR #37 ties up a loose end as the team go to the Skrulls' planet to bring the killer of the Storms' father to justice, who conveniently dies.

In ANNIHILATION #3 the United Front *lose* the war against the Annihilation Wave. Now it's up to individual superheroes to do what armies couldn't.

And in AVENGERS ARENA #4 the Avengers Academy kids and the Runaways try to team up but fall out disastrously.

--RobFJ

The Invaders Reassemble!

But first, the new MORTAL THOR #13 shows us the career of Magni, son of Thor, taking the throne of the All-Father and falling into the trap set by the Enchantress!

GIANT-SIZE INVADERS #2 from 2005 reassembles the WW2 team in a mix of new and old stories! Guest appearances by FDR and Churchill!

THE NEW DEFENDERS #147: the team takes on the demonic dandy Hotspur in a Central Park orgy!

BLACK WIDOW: PALE LITTLE SPIDER #3 concludes the dark miniseries with Black Widow (Yelena Belova) caught up in an unbelievable conspiracy centering on a sinister Moscow sex club!

WOLVERINE BATTLES THE INCREDIBLE HULK #1, a reprint of the classic THE INCREDIBLE HULK #180-181!

And Anthony Silvestro brings us UNCANNY X-MEN #253, Storm becomes a child again, and AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #149, introducing the clone (yes, that clone), and ASM #150, the aftermath of the appearance of the clone!

PeterS

The 1st sign of the Inhumans

T Vernon's ULTIMATE IRON MAN v2 #4 continues the adventures of this alternate Tony Stark who finally works out who the real big bad is.

FANTASTIC FOUR #36 brings 3 old foes (of Human Torch) together with the mysterious new Madame Medusa to form the Frightful Four

There's no rest for the good in ANNIHILATION #2 as Annihilus' special forces attack the United Front.

AVENGERS ARENA #2-3 concentrate our attention on Death Locket and Cammi.

--RobFJ

The 1st sign of the Inhumans

T Vernon's ULTIMATE IRON MAN v2 #4 continues the adventures of this alternate Tony Stark who finally works out who the real big bad is.

FANTASTIC FOUR #36 brings 3 old foes (of Human Torch) together with the mysterious new Madame Medusa to form the Frightful Four

There's no rest for the good in ANNIHILATION #2 as Annihilus' special forces attack the United Front.

AVENGERS ARENA #2-3 concentrate our attention on new Death Locket and relatively-new Cammi.

--RobFJ

Can’t Think of a Title Here So…More Cool Stuff!

Left over from last week is INFERNAL HULK #9! Bruce Banner enters the Soul Cage, which nearly killed the Hulk last time it was tried! And Hulk’s scary sidekick Charlie returns!

THE NEW DEFENDERS #146 introduces a new hero, Andromeda, to take on a new villain, Hotspur!

THOR (1968) #62 starts to show us the dark side of Thor’s Reigning, as a trio of conflicts turn shockingly violent!

BLACK WIDOW: PALE LITTLE SPIDER #2 has Black Widow (Yelena Belova) investigating the grisly murder of her mentor!

The upgraded CAPTAIN AMERICA #132 reveals the big secret behind the comics’ first fake Bucky Barnes!

And Anthony Silvestro brings us a pair of two-parters: UNCANNY X-MEN #251-252, Wolverine and Jubilee against the Reavers, and AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #147-148, Tarantula, Jackal and clones, oh my!

PeterS

Cammi starts 2 new series

T Vernon's ULTIMATE IRON MAN v2 #3 has the Iron Man suit in action without Tony Stark who's busy negotiating with the villains.

FANTASTIC FOUR #35 features the return of Diablo, the creation of Dragon Man and Reed proposing to Sue.

ANNIHILATION #1 gathers most of the chars (including Drax's young companion Cammi) from the previous mini-series of the Annihilation event for the final conflict.

NEW AVENGERS #34 concludes the Bendis era of Avengers with Dr Strange being reinstated as Sorcerer Supreme.

But there are also gaps in the following Hickman era, and I'll begin filling them with AVENGERS ARENA #1 which sees 16 teens (including some Avengers Academy chars and Cammi) dragged into Arcade's latest Murder World.

--RobFJ

Armageddon Continues!

Brand new AVENGERS: ARMAGEDDON #2 ends the war with Red Hulk more quickly than expected and things will get worse before they get better!

Also new CAPTAIN AMERICA (2025) #13 has Steve Rogers in Hell, fighting for the dead Doctor Doom’s cause: seizing power in Hell! Cap? Really?

Something different in BLACK WIDOW: PALE LITTLE SPIDER #1! It’s not Natasha Romanova but Yelena Belova in the costume in her sole miniseries! And it’s a gruesome one!

THE NEW DEFENDERS #145 is a shaggy dog story with the heroes and the army kind of puttering around with a guest appearance by Johnny Blaze, the useless ex-Ghost Rider!

THOR (1998) #61 has Thor undergoing various tests to see if he is fit to replace Odin in the Council of the Gods!

And Anthony Silvestro brings us a pair of two-parters: UNCANNY X-MEN #249-250, wherein the X-Men return to the Savage Land to battle would-be conqueror Zaladane, and AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #145-146, Spidey versus Scorpion!

PeterS

Thomas Gideon X 2

T Vernon's strange ULTIMATE IRON MAN v2 #2 continues with IM and War Machine still pretending to be robots.

FANTASTIC FOUR #34 pits the FF against a millionaire (big money in those days). But more significantly it introduces his son Thomas Gideon who will become Glorian ...

... who's just finishing a run as the villain in ANNIHILATION: RONAN #4, until everyone has to join forces against the Annihilation Wave.

NEW AVENGERS #32-33 almost finish *their* run as Daniel Drumm makes them fight each other, SHIELD, the FBI and the Avengers.

--RobFJ

A Grab Bag of Classic Goodies!

THOR (1968) #60 gives us “Spiral Part One,” wherein Thor’s kingdom starts to spin out of control, leading toward the classic “The Reigning!”

Black Widow concludes the three-part story in JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY (1996) #519 which pulls off one of the strangest surprise plot twists ever! Even if you've seen THE USUAL SUSPECTS!

In THE NEW DEFENDERS #144, it’s the super powerful Moondragon turned evil versus her friends and teammates who are vastly outnumbered by her!

INCREDIBLE HULK AND WOLVERINE #1 is an epic reprint of the duo’s classic first encounter!

The upgraded CAPTAIN AMERICA (1968) #131 shows us the first time Bucky Barnes returned from the dead! Today seems the day for fakes (keep reading)!

And Anthony Silvestro brings us UNCANNY X-MEN #247, a fake death for Rogue, UNCANNY X-MEN #248, a fake death for Storm, and AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #144, the fake return of Gwen Stacy!

PeterS

A Tony & Rhodey double bill

IRON MAN #7 sees a worried James Rhodes coming to see what Tony Stark is doing in the old Gamma Base.

T Vernon begins the 2nd Ultimate Iron Man series with of course #1 and the debut of the (weird-looking) Iron Man armour. And Ultimate Rhodey's still around.

FANTASTIC FOUR #33 has the team secretly helping Sub-Mariner defeat new undersea villain Attuma.

In ANNIHILATION: RONAN #3 Glorian uses the energy generated by Ronan fighting Gamora to transform Godthab Omega into a paradise. But then the Annihilation Wave arrives to wreck it.

NEW AVENGERS #31 starts the End Times last arc of the series as the spirit of Daniel Drumm possesses Victoria Hand to kill some sorcerers.

--RobFJ

New Thor and Double the Cap, Double the Hulk!

Brand new MORTAL THOR #12 has the powerless Thor tangling with his demonic enemy, Donald Blake, whose secret is now revealed!

WOLVERINE: WEAPONS OF ARMAGEDDON #2 puts Nuke on the trail of Logan and the new Captain America!

Black Widow takes on urban terrorists in part two of a three-part solo adventure in JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY #518!

The upgraded CAPTAIN AMERICA (1968) #130 pits Cap against Hulk! ‘Nuff said!

And UNCANNY ORIGINS #5 gives us Hulk’s origin all over again because we’re trying to be complete!

And Anthony Silvestro brings us UNCANNY X-MEN #246, the return of Master Mold, AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #143, Spidey versus Cyclone, and DAREDEVIL #242, DD hunts for the Caviar Killer!

PeterS

Things end in death or graduation

T Vernon ends the 1st Ultimate Iron Man series with #5 where the bi-generational Stark/Stane feud ends up with 1 dead.

FANTASTIC FOUR #32 kills off daddy Storm 1 issue after introducing him. Those dastardly Skrulls are involved.

In ANNIHILATION: RONAN #2 Ronan confronts Gamora as the Annihilation Wave draws closer.

AVENGERS ACADEMY #38-39 ends the series with a flag football game against the students of the X-Men school and a graduation to junior Avengers.

--RobFJ

Armageddon Continues But in Hell!

Brand new CAPTAIN AMERICA #12…Cap goes to Hell, literally, and becomes Doctor Doom’s champion against the forces of Mephisto! Not your usual venue for a Cap comic!

THE INFERNAL HULK #8 is also new with the heroes helpless against the monster Hulk—and that isn’t new!

Black Widow begins a three-part solo adventure in JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY #517, going undercover to prevent a bank robbery—but that’s not really what’s going on!

THOR (1998) #59 takes us to the far-off year of 2026 (whoa!) where the gods and heroes are gone but a kid locates what may be Thor’s hammer, Mjolnir! And an old man who may be Thor! By Christopher Priest!

THE NEW DEFENDERS #143 has Moondragon going bad and fighting her teammates! It happens to the best of us!

And Anthony Silvestro brings us UNCANNY X-MEN #245, the X-Guys go out for a comedy issue, AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #142, first glimpse of the Gwen clone, and DAREDEVIL #241, another depressing tale from Ann Nocenti!   

PeterS

AVX ends and Ronan begins

T Vernon's ULTIMATE IRON MAN (2005) #4 continues to explore the teen years of this version of Tony Stark.

FANTASTIC FOUR #31 brings back Mole Man but more significantly introduces Johnny and Sue's father.

ANNIHILATION: RONAN #1 ignores the Annihilation Wave in favour of the title char seeking proof that he's not a traitor.

And I reach the last of the Avengers Vs X-Men tie-ins with:-
WOLVERINE & THE X-MEN #18 showing us what the Jean Grey School students did while the last battle was fought.
NEW AVENGERS #30 showing us Emma Frost a prisoner and Luke Cage starting a protracted resignation from the team.

--RobFJ