INVADERS #18

"ENTER: THE MIGHTY DESTROYER!"
Writer/Editor: Roy Thomas | Illustrators: Frank Robbins & Frank Springer
Letterer: John Costanza | Colorist: George Roussos

The Plot: Captain America, hurled from Hitler's fortress ramparts by Warrior Woman, plummets toward the ground -- but he manages to break his fall with his shield and is caught on the ground by a costumed mystery man. Meanwhile, Hitler orders that Master Man and Warrior Woman will be wed to sire a new race of superhumans. When Warrior Woman bristles at this, Hitler gives her time to think it over.

Three Nazi soldiers arrive to collect Captain America's body, but instead find themselves attacked by Cap and the man who saved him, the Mighty Destroyer. The duo defeats the soliders and then ducks into the Destroyer's cavern hideout, where he describes his origin to Cap. Meanwhile, Hitler orders the imprisoned Invaders loaded up for transport to Berlin, where they will be publicly executed.

At that moment, Spitfire, Lord Falsworth, and Dyna-Mite arrive secretly in Berlin and link up with Oskar, an old German friend of Falsworth's. Back at the fortress, Warrior Woman orders Private Biljo White executed -- but after she departs, Cap and the Destroyer rescue him, and then learn that the Invaders have already been taken away.

MARVEL TEAM-UP #59

Stan Lee presents: SPIDEY and the YELLOWJACKET -- together!

”SOME SAY SPIDEY WILL DIE BY FIRE… SOME SAY BY ICE!”
Writer: Chris Claremont | Artist: John Byrne | Inker/Colorist: Dave Hunt
Letterer: Bruce Patterson | Editor: Archie Goodwin

The Plot: Web-swinging home from dinner at his Aunt May’s house, Spider-Man is ambushed by a mystery assailant with fire and ice powers. Far above the city, Hank and Jan Pym -- Yellowjacket and the Wasp of the Avengers -- are preparing for a romantic evening in their penthouse apartment when Hank spots the wall-crawler falling to his doom. Yellowjacket saves Spider-Man and he comes to in the apartment.

As Spider-Man works to piece together the identity of his assailant, the villain assaults the penthouse, revealing himself as Equinox. Spider-Man, Yellowjacket, and Wasp battle Equinox out of the apartment and down into the city, where Equinox apparently kills Yellowjacket by way of a tanker truck explosion.

Continuity Notes: In an unconscious haze following Equinox’s first attack, Spider-Man dreams about his late girlfriend, Gwen Stacy.

Equinox first appeared in MARVEL TEAM-UP #23, wherein he was defeated by Iceman and the Human Torch.

MOON KNIGHT: THE GUEST APPEARANCES

The MARVEL SPOTLIGHT stories were published in 1976. The HULK! magazine stories, which we’ll begin to cover next time, came out in 1978. But from 1977 – 1979, Moon Knight had a handful of appearances in other series, chronicled by writers other than his creator, Doug Moench. In a nutshell, these are those tales:

DEFENDERS #47 - 50
“NIGHT MOVES!” | “SINISTER SAVIOR!” | “RAMPAGE”
“SCORPIO MUST DIE!” | “A ROUND WITH THE RINGER!” (excerpt)
Writer: David Kraft | Penciler: Keith Giffen | Editor: Archie Goodwin

Co-Plot: Roger Slifer (#47) | Script: John Warner (#47)
Inks: Klaus Janson (#47 & 51), Dan Green (#48), Mike Royer (#49),
Keith Giffen w/Mike Royer, John Tartaglione, & Dave Cockrum (#50)
Letters: John Costanza (#47 & 50), Annette Kawecki (#48),
Irving Watanabe & Mike Royer (#49), Bruce Patterson (#51)
Colors: David Kraft (#48-49), Don Warfield (#50), Phil Rache (#51)

The Plot: Moon Knight becomes involved with the Defenders as they attempt to rescue their friend, Jack Norriss, from the clutches of the villainous Scorpio.

My Thoughts: I haven't read much by David Kraft, but I have at least read his run on the original SAVAGE SHE-HULK series. These issues read nothing like SHE-HULK, so I'm guessing that perhaps Kraft is emulating the style of previous DEFENDERS writers here (I've never read any of DEFENDERS outside of these five issues). The story is dark, the script is ponderous and the dialogue is occasionally unnatural. The characters, good and bad alike, all seem very disenfranchised with the world and even depressed and generally unhappy. This isn't typical Marvel "soap opera"-style angst -- it's the adventures of a bunch of mopey sad sacks. These are not fun comics, and I doubt I'll ever read them again.

(Also, what's with all the weird references to beer strewn throughout these issues?)

Artistically, Keith Giffen performs an acceptable Jack Kirby impression, but his work looks best when inked by Klaus Janson in a more traditional style. Also, Giffen seems to have misinterpreted Moon Knight’s ability to glide on his cape as the power of flight, showing him zooming around an enclosed room alongside Nighthawk several times.