MARVEL MANIA

At present pop culture is still Marvel’s world given how their superheroes continue to dominate movies and streaming services. Readers have been asking for a convenient one-stop blog post to use as an access point for Balladeer’s Blog’s assorted Marvel Comics articles, so here we go.

SHANG-CHI: HIS FIRST TWELVE ADVENTURES – Shang-Chi, the Master of Kung Fu, is set to star in the upcoming movie Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. This blog post covered his “senses-shattering origin” (R.I.P. Stan Lee) plus his first dozen stories, featuring his villainous father, his adopted brother Midnight (M’Nai), Black Jack Tarr and more. Click HERE. 

KANG THE CONQUEROR, MANTIS AND THE CELESTIAL MADONNA SAGA – Plenty of Easter Eggs point to Kang’s imminent debut in Marvel movies and/ or tv shows, plus his true love Ravonna Renslayer has already debuted. Kang’s alias as Rama Tut even showed up in X-Men: Apocalypse.

              Mantis, though a member of the Guardians of the Galaxy in the films, started out as an Avenger in the 1970s. For my detailed look at her first appearance on up through her starring role in the original Celestial Madonna Saga click HERE.  TO JUMP STRAIGHT TO THE KANG PART CLICK HERE. For Mantis’ role in the first THANOS WAR click HERE and HERE.

AGATHA HARKNESS AND THE SCARLET WITCH – Their first meeting HERE.

ADAM WARLOCK, THANOS, GAMORA AND THE MAGUS – And speaking of Thanos, and with Adam Warlock having been hinted at since the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie, here’s another 1970s Young Adult Classic from Marvel. Adam took on his vile other self the Magus, his galaxy-spanning 1,000-world empire and Thanos in his first post-Thanos War appearance. Plus Gamora’s very first appearance. Click HERE.

KIT HARINGTON’S BLACK KNIGHT – This post covered Marvel’s various incarnations of the Black Knight, from the heroic figure who fought in the Crusades through the modern-day supervillain version who fought the Avengers to his nephew Dane Whitman (Kit Harington), who became a hero and redeemed the family honor. Click HERE.

KILLRAVEN – The heroic rebel leader and his Freemen take on Earth’s alien invaders on a war-torn post-apocalyptic world crawling with extraterrestrial tyrants and assorted mutated menaces. Click HERE.

THE X-MEN – For the first twenty stories of the ORIGINAL 1963 X-Men, featuring their initial encounters with Magneto, Juggernaut, the Mimic and the Sentinels, click HERE. For the NEW (Wolverine, Storm & Phoenix) X-Men from 1975 click HERE.

BLADE THE VAMPIRE SLAYER – With his own tv series on the way, here’s his early tales, from 1973-1983. Click HERE.

IRON MAN’S FIRST TWENTY STORIES – Featuring Iron Man, Black Widow, Hawkeye, the Mandarin, Crimson Dynamo, Unicorn, the Melter, the X-Men and more. Just click HERE.

THE KREE-SKRULL WAR – Earth caught in the middle of a war between two advanced alien races. Starring the Avengers, Captain Marvel, Ronan the Accuser, the Inhumans, Annihilus and more. Click HERE.

IRON FIST – Danny Rand’s early adventures from K’un-Lun to New York City and even to London alongside Shang-Chi! With villains like Master Khan, the Scythe, Warhawk, Snake-Eyes, Triple-Iron and more. Click HERE.

FIRST TWENTY DEFENDERS STORIES FROM THE 1970s – The early days of the Defenders, including the Valkyrie, Hulk, Dr Strange, Silver Surfer and others. Click HERE.

DAREDEVIL – His first twenty adventures, featuring villains like the Owl, Killgrave, Stilt-Man, the Ani-Men, the Gladiator and more. Click HERE. 

CAPTAIN AMERICA – For his first twenty 1940s adventures against the Red Skull and others click HERE. For his first twenty 1960s adventures after being thawed out by the Avengers and fighting Baron Zemo, Batroc, the Red Skull and others click HERE.

THE AVENGERS – The initial twenty stories of the Avengers as they go up against Loki, Kang the Conqueror, Count Nefaria, the Space Phantom and more. Click HERE.

THE HULK – The first several adventures of the Hulk from the 1960s as he battles the Leader, the Fantastic Four, the Gargoyle, Mongu, the Circus of Crime and many, many more. Click HERE.

THE BLACK PANTHER VS KILLMONGER – It’s Panther’s Rage, the original 13-part story with T’Challa facing a much more interesting Erik Killmonger. Click HERE. 

THE MIGHTY THOR – The thunder god in his earliest encounters with Loki, the Tomorrow Man, Radioactive Man, Mister Hyde, Lava Man and others. Click HERE. 

THE SON OF SATAN – For Balladeer’s Blog’s take on this Marvel horror hero from the 1970s click HERE.

GHOST RIDER – No Nicolas Cage, no problem! The original 1970s run of the Ghost Rider as he took on Satan, Witch-Woman, the Orb, Hulk, the Bounty Hunter and others. Click HERE.

WEREWOLF BY NIGHT – Marvel’s Paul Naschy-style adventures of tormented lycanthrope Jack Russell as he dealth with assorted horrific menaces while seeking a cure for the family curse. Click HERE.

MARVEL’S FORGOTTEN HORROR CHARACTERS – Satana the  Devil’s Daughter, Tales of the Zombie, the Golem and the Living Mummy. Click HERE.

MARVEL’S FORGOTTEN 1940s HEROES – Superheroines like the Silver Scorpion & Sun Girl and superheroes like Rock Man and the original version of the Vision. Click HERE. 

TIGRA THE WEREWOMAN – Tigra from her superhero days as the Cat to her transformation into Tigra and subsequent adventures. Click HERE.