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Peter Hicks
Byrne Robotics Member


Joined: 30 April 2004
Location: Canada
Posts: 1878
Posted: 26 November 2022 at 9:16pm | IP Logged | 1 post reply

As a child in the mid 70s, the comic I bought most often was MTU, because it gave you the very cool,Spider-man, plus some other character that might be just as cool.  MTU #5 was one of the first comics I bought off the rack.  Consider yourself No Prized if you can name the guest hero without looking.
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Doug Centers
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Joined: 17 February 2014
Location: United States
Posts: 5436
Posted: 26 November 2022 at 10:49pm | IP Logged | 2 post reply

MTU had a logical beginning using Spider-Man and the Human Torch the first few issues. They were kind of friends/rivals same age adventurers, so if Peter was going to team up with anyone it should be Johnny.
By the time I bought my first MTU tho The Frankenstein Monster was the "guest", yikes!
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Robert Bradley
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Joined: 20 September 2006
Location: United States
Posts: 4808
Posted: 27 November 2022 at 1:28am | IP Logged | 3 post reply

For a while the Torch was co-starring in every third issue.  Spider-Man was also teaming up in Giant-Size Spider-Man those months (with Dracula, Shang-Chi, Doc Savage, the Punisher and the Man-Thing).



Edited by Robert Bradley on 27 November 2022 at 1:35am
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Robert Bradley
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Joined: 20 September 2006
Location: United States
Posts: 4808
Posted: 27 November 2022 at 1:35am | IP Logged | 4 post reply

Human Torch Team-Ups -

#1-3 - w/Spider-Man
#10 - w/Spider-Man
#18 - w/the Hulk
#23 - w/Iceman
#26 - w/Thor
#29 - w/Iron Man
#32 - w/Son of Satan
#35 - w/Doctor Strange
#39 - w/Spider-Man
#61 - w/Spider-Man
#121 - w/Spider-Man
#147 - w/Spider-Man

They eventually tried the Hulk for a few issues, but that made even less sense than Spider-Man.

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Robert Bradley
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Joined: 20 September 2006
Location: United States
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Posted: 27 November 2022 at 1:56am | IP Logged | 5 post reply

For a while there Marvel was teaming just about everybody up with someone -

Falcon joins Captain America (December, 1970) - Captain America #132-218
Black Widow joins Daredevil (November, 1971) - Daredevil #81-124
Spider-Man team-ups begin (March, 1972) - Marvel Team-Up #1
Thing team-ups begin (September, 1973) - Marvel Feature #11
Hercules joins Thor (March, 1974) - Thor #221-239
Jack of Hearts joins Iron Man (September, 1977) - Iron Man #102-113

In addition Clea was appearing in Strange Tales/Marvel Premiere/Doctor Strange

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Peter Hicks
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Joined: 30 April 2004
Location: Canada
Posts: 1878
Posted: 27 November 2022 at 3:52am | IP Logged | 6 post reply

Robert - Those 70s Giant Size Spider-mans were originally created to be GS MTUs.   But then someone pointed out ASM sold better than MTU, so they changed the title.
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Jim Burdo
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Joined: 19 April 2020
Location: United States
Posts: 335
Posted: 27 November 2022 at 10:54am | IP Logged | 7 post reply

"In addition Clea was appearing in Strange Tales/Marvel Premiere/Doctor Strange"

Well, she was part of Doctor Strange's supporting cast.
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Robert Bradley
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Joined: 20 September 2006
Location: United States
Posts: 4808
Posted: 27 November 2022 at 3:08pm | IP Logged | 8 post reply

Peter - Those Giant-size issues were all over the map.  Spider-Man went from GIANT-SIZE SUPER-HEROES battles Morbius and the Man-Wolf, to five issues of GIANT-SIZE SPIDER-MAN with original team-up stories, to a final issue with a reprint of SPIDER-MAN ANNUAL #4 to cancellation.

GIANT-SIZE FANTASTIC FOUR followed a similar track, and others like GIANT-SIZE AVENGERS and GIANT-SIZE X-MEN had thier last story printed in their regular title while reprints were published in the Giant-Size title. I don't know how GIANT-SIZE DEFENDERS #5 escaped the same fate.

JIm - Yes, I realize that, I was just point out that all the main solo heroes (except for the Hulk) had picked up partners or were in team-up books except for Dr. Strange, who already had Clea.

I wonder if Marvel ever considered running a backup feature like DC did with Firestorm, Batgirl and Green Arrow or they did in the 60s with Martian Manhunter and Elongated Man.  Hercules might have been a good backup feature for Thor and the Falcon could have run in Captain America.
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John Byrne

Grumpy Old Guy

Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 132129
Posted: 27 November 2022 at 3:52pm | IP Logged | 9 post reply

Not a few inventory GIANT SIZED issues were published as “graphic novels” when the bean counters recognized that cash cow.

It has amused me over the years to encounter civilians who insist they only read “graphic novels”. I point out that “graphic novel” refers to format, not content, and in the end there is another term that applies to all of them: comic books.

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Peter Hicks
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Joined: 30 April 2004
Location: Canada
Posts: 1878
Posted: 27 November 2022 at 4:35pm | IP Logged | 10 post reply

Robert- There was one wonderful month where some of the big Marvel titles were oversized 35 cent books.  Marvel tried to soften the blow from going from 20 to 25 cents by saying there would double the length of pages and go to 35 cents.   There were a handful of examples, but it did not stick.

I can only think of 35 cent Spider-man and FF from that time.  Am I missing any others?



Edited by Peter Hicks on 27 November 2022 at 4:38pm
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John Byrne

Grumpy Old Guy

Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 132129
Posted: 27 November 2022 at 5:11pm | IP Logged | 11 post reply

Big nostalgia zap, there. I’d not yet broken into Marvel when those issues came out. I actually remember lying in bed one Sunday morning reading that FANTASTIC FOUR.

A time when the art was really at a low ebb, it at gave me the encouragement to believe I could do at least as well.

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Robert Bradley
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Joined: 20 September 2006
Location: United States
Posts: 4808
Posted: 27 November 2022 at 6:08pm | IP Logged | 12 post reply

That was Bucker doing his best Kirby, inked by Sinnott.

Which was much better than GIANT-SIZE AVENGERS #1, which was Buckler doing his best Kirby, inked by Adkins.

I know what they were going for with having Buckler ape Kirby in FANTASTIC FOUR, but I didn't like it as much as Buckler doing Buckler.

Luckily, George Perez was right around the corner.


Edited by Robert Bradley on 27 November 2022 at 6:39pm
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