With the release of Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2 last week and its introduction of the character Mantis to the Marvel Cinematic Universe I dove in for some research.
Luckily with the countless superhero web sites and the ready availability of archived collections of comic books from the 1970s and earlier it only took me til today to decide to take an extensive look at Mantis as she was originally presented in the pages of The Avengers – NOT the Guardians of the Galaxy – during what came to be called The Celestial Madonna Saga.
REASON ONE: I still have a soft spot for comic books because reading them as a kid served as a gateway to two of my adult passions: mythology and opera.
REASON TWO: I’m intrigued by the fact that so many of the stories brought to the screen by the Marvel Cinematic Universe and their related properties trace their original appearance to the 1970s like Mantis.
Hell, Gwen Stacy was killed by the Green Goblin around 1973. Magneto was ret-conned into his present personality in the 1970s. Adam Warlock got his Soul Gem, later ret-conned into one of the Infinity Stones. The Defenders debuted in that decade. Wolverine was also introduced in the 70s. Same with Luke Cage, Blade the Vampire Slayer, Iron Fist, Ghost Rider, Thanos, the Punisher. Even Howard the Duck. (Well, you can’t win them all.)
REASON THREE: I’m genuinely impressed with the way Marvel’s writers in the 1970s anticipated today’s slew of serialized sci-fi and horror series’ with their expert handling of prolonged narratives. Sometimes over YEARS! Seriously. Continue reading
Since we just passed the one year anniversary of the death of Prince a few readers emailed me to mention it. Some even asked the time-honored question about why we wait until people are dead to give them a shoutout. 
Adam Ant is a prime example of the bittersweet connection between creativity and insanity. Unlike many other entertainers who engage in long battles against various addictions Ant’s major vice was his own periodic madness. And I don’t say that as an insult, but as a very odd compliment. (And I know about his stays in a few mental hospitals and his being diagnosed as bi-polar. I repeat – I’m not insulting him. I’m sincerely complimenting him.)
MUSLIM VIOLENCE AWARENESS YEAR CONTINUES. Islam is the most misogynistic, homophobic and otherwise intolerant religion in the world at this particular time. And the way Islam insists on marrying religion to government AND insists that non-Muslims must live by Muslim rules makes it a fascist and totalitarian movement that needs to be opposed loudly and daily. 
a) Use violence to force political, social, territorial and religious concessions from non-Muslims, promising to end the violence when those concessions are granted.
CHESAPEAKE COLLEGE SKIPJACKS 
Career criminal Hillary Clinton continues to blame everyone but herself for her humiliating loss to Donald Trump this year. One of the hot-selling items headed into the New Year is a calendar on which each day features one of the Hillarytron’s whiny, self-serving excuses. 
If you enjoyed Robert Shaw’s freebooting turn as the pirate Red Ned Lynch in the 1976 movie Swashbuckler you’ll love him as Captain Dan Tempest in this series from the 1950’s. Shaw was equal parts Errol Flynn and Jack Sparrow on the program, which featured him as the captain of the Sultana. 
U.S.A. Polo joined Australia, New Zealand, Argentina and Chile in qualifying for the next FIP Polo World Cup, to be played in Sydney, Australia from October 17th-30th this year. 
Balladeer's Blog 