MS. MARVEL: MORE OF HER 1970s STORIES

This weekend’s escapist, light-hearted superhero post from Balladeer’s Blog looks at additional 70s tales of Ms. Marvel. Part One is HERE.

MS. MARVEL Vol 1 #11 (Nov 1977)

Title: Eve of the Elementals

Villains: The Elementals and Hecate

Synopsis: After corralling a gang of thieves, Ms. Marvel turns back into Carol Danvers and heads from her editorial office at Woman Magazine to Cape Canaveral, Florida. She is there to interview an old friend of hers turned astronaut – Salia Petrie.

Just as the launch involving Petrie is about to happen, Carol must become Ms. Marvel to fight the Living Mummy’s old foes the Elementals (Hellfire, Magnum and Hydron), who have captured tomb raider the Asp as well as their renegade female member Zephyr.

Our heroine destroys three earth monsters created by Magnum but is then attacked by the Elementals’ new leader – the villainess Hecate making her first ever appearance.

MS. MARVEL Vol 1 #12 (Dec 1977)

Title: The Warrior and the Witch-Queen

Villains: Hecate and the Elementals

Synopsis: While the battle continues, Hecate delivers a Villain Rant, revealing she and her powered witch-staff are helping the Elementals in their usual quest to obtain the ancient Egyptian relic the Scarlet Scarab (also seen in the Moon Knight television miniseries).

With the way the relic increases the power of its holder the villains will be able to take over the Earth. They captured the Asp and Zephyr (at right) last issue to try to force them to reveal where they hid the Scarlet Scarab after they and the Living Mummy kept it from their hands during their previous clash.

The Elementals obtain the scarab but double-cross Hecate by refusing to share its power with her. Ms. Marvel and Hecate then join forces against the Elementals. Ms. Marvel gets the Scarlet Scarab and defeats all the villains.

MS. MARVEL Vol 1 #13 (Jan 1978)

Title: Bedlam in Boston

Villains: Golden-Blade and Sapper

Synopsis: Carol Danvers has begun a romance with her former psychiatrist Michael Barnett since the end of last issue. She takes Michael with her on vacation to Boston so he can meet her parents.

The lovebirds are with a tour group on the USS Constitution when innocent bystanders come under attack by two aliens called Golden-Blade and Sapper. Carol becomes Ms. Marvel (Michael knows that’s who she is) and ultimately drives off the alien duo.

MS. MARVEL Vol 1 #14 (Feb 1978)

Title: Fear Stalks Floor 40

Villain: Steeplejack II

Synopsis: Continuing her and Michael’s visit to Boston, Carol learns that the construction company her father works for is one owned by Maxwell Plumm, the corrupt figure who secretly uses shoddy materials to save money.

Investigating as Ms. Marvel, our heroine clashes with the second supervillain called Steeplejack. She defeats him and it turns out that it is Maxwell Plumm himself in the costume. After the original Steeplejack died battling Power Man, Maxwell stole the villain’s weapons for himself and upgraded them.   

THE DEFENDERS Vol 1 #57 (Mar 1978)

Title: Along Came Ms. Marvel

Villains: A.I.M. and Warbot

Defenders Roster: Dr. Strange, Hulk, Valkyrie, Clea, Nighthawk and Hellcat 

Synopsis: A.I.M. uses their powerful new android called Warbot as part of their plan to get revenge on Ms. Marvel for interfering with the villainous group’s plans several issues back.

As events play out, Ms. Marvel AND the (then) secret supergroup called the Defenders get caught up in the conflict. A.I.M. and Warbot are defeated.   

MS. MARVEL Vol 1 #15 (Mar 1978)

Title: The Shark is a Very Deadly Beast

Villain: Tiger-Shark

Synopsis: The Sub-Mariner’s recurring foe Tiger-Shark escapes imprisonment at Hydrobase and kidnaps Namor’s (Sub-Mariner’s) cousin Namorita to use her as a hostage. Tiger-Shark defeats both Wundarr AND the passing Ms. Marvel, then escapes with his hostage.

Ms. Marvel and Wundarr mistakenly fight each other in the aftermath, but when she learns what has really happened, our heroine realizes she needs help if Tiger-Shark is to be stopped. 

MS. MARVEL Vol 1 #16 (Apr 1978)

Title: War Beneath the Waves

Villain: Tiger-Shark

Synopsis: Knowing she needs the kind of technology that is on hand at Avengers Mansion, Ms. Marvel intrudes there a bit hastily and clashes with the Scarlet Witch and the Beast. After everyone calms down, Carol explains what’s going on and asks to use the Avengers’ laboratory facilities.

Ms. Marvel uses Stark and Kree tech to make her own body temporarily able to breathe seawater, then plunges into the Atlantic Ocean on the trail of Tiger-Shark and the captive Namorita. The villain sics a giant squid on Ms. Marvel, but she defeats both it AND Tiger-Shark.

Namorita frees herself during their battle and summons an Atlantean vessel to save Carol’s life when her ability to breathe underwater expires.

Meanwhile, the future X-Men foe Mystique (Raven Darkholme) makes her first brief appearance conspiring with Pentagon personnel. 

MS. MARVEL Vol 1 #17 (May 1978)

Title: Shadow of the Gun

Villains: Mystique and Centurion

Synopsis: At Woman Magazine, Editor in Chief Carol Danvers learns from reporter Frank Gianelli that he has been unable to learn why Pentagon employee Geoffrey Ballard tried burgling her office while she was in Boston. Stymied but attracted to Gianelli, Carol shares a kiss with him after a snowball fight at the end of the day. 

Elsewhere, Mystique impersonates Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontane to gain entry for herself and Geoffrey Ballard (one of her Pentagon co-conspirators) to the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier. Then she impersonates Nick Fury to get her and Ballard into the research center where Ballard steals and dons the high-tech armor called Centurion (above right), complete with its ray-gun.   

Mystique then has him attack the flying Ms. Marvel as Centurion. 

MS. MARVEL Vol 1 #18 (Jun 1978)

Title: The St. Valentine’s Day Avengers Massacre

Villain: Centurion

Synopsis: While Ms. Marvel and Centurion continue engaging in a very destructive battle all over New York City, Mystique resumes her Raven Darkholme identity and lets her secret Kree allies know that she has a minion trying to kill Ms. Marvel as they speak. On the Kree home planet Hala, the conspirators that Mystique was just talking to via Omni-Wave Projector are plotting against the Kree Supreme Intelligence, the AI who runs their empire.

Back with Ms. Marvel and Centurion, a detachment of Avengers – the Scarlet Witch, the Vision, the Wasp, Yellowjacket and the post-death version of Wonder Man – arrive to help her. The villain is defeated and the Centurion armor self-destructs. 

THE AVENGERS Vol 1 #171 (May 1978)

Title: Shards of Crystal Doom

Villain: Ultron

Avengers Roster: Thor, Wasp, Iron Man, Captain America, Scarlet Witch, Vision, Yellowjacket, the Beast and Wonder Man

NOTE: This is the finale of the Bride of Ultron storyline, with Ms. Marvel just happening along to take part in it.

Synopsis: While the frantic Avengers are pursuing Ultron’s android “bride” Jocasta through New York City and simultaneously protecting innocent bystanders from harm, Ms. Marvel flies along and offers her help. 

The pursuit of Jocasta leads our heroes to a convent in which Ultron has killed all the sisters and replaced them with android duplicates to use the place as his secret lair. Naturally, Ultron is aware the Avengers and Ms. Marvel have entered his HQ and after taunting Yellowjacket (Hank Pym) by once again calling him “father” he unleashes his encephalo-beam on the Avengers.

Though the encephalo-beam was so potent that it nearly killed the Avengers, Fantastic Four and Inhumans for Ultron the last time he struck, this time it has no effect. Yellowjacket throws Ultron’s usual “father” insult back at him, reminding him that, yes, he created him long ago, but he has also recently managed to make himself and his fellow Avengers immune to the encephalo-beam’s effects. 

A huge battle with Ultron now breaks out, but he soon imprisons the Avengers in an energy field so they can helplessly witness him putting the finishing touches on his “bride” Jocasta.

NOTE: Long ago, Hank Pym used his own thought patterns as a basis for Ultron’s programming, just like Ultron later used Wonder Man’s thought patterns for the Vision’s programming. Ultron has always had a thing for the Wasp, his figurative mother, due to the influence of Hank Pym’s thought patterns within him, since Hank loves the Wasp.

           This time around, Ultron has gone full Oedipus. Not only has he named his bride after Oedipus’ wife/ mother Jocasta, but the villain has used Janet Van Dyne’s (Wasp’s) thought patterns to program her. As the Avengers look on, Ultron uploads Wasp’s thought patterns into Jocasta, at last giving her a mind instead of non-sentient impulses.

Though Ultron has assumed this means his bride will now follow her programming to obey him, Jocasta makes it clear that the influence of Janet Van Dyne’s thought patterns within her make her desire to destroy Ultron instead.   

While Jocasta battles Ultron, the Avengers free themselves and join her in fighting their archenemy. Ms. Marvel frees the Scarlet Witch from a death-trap that Ultron unleashes on her. The Scarlet Witch then leads Thor and the others in destroying Ultron once and for all. (Naturally he’s not really dead and returns down the road.)

THE AVENGERS VOL 1 #172 (Jun 1978)

Title: Holocaust in New York Harbor

Villain: Tyrak

Synopsis: Ms. Marvel accompanies the Avengers back to Avengers Mansion, where they see Hawkeye has decided to rejoin the team. While the rest of the team gets swept up in subplots unrelated to Ms. Marvel, she agrees to help them out against the stronger-than-Sub-Mariner Atlantean villain called Tyrak.

After Tyrak is defeated, Ms. Marvel flirts with Wonder Man, then flies off.

MS. MARVEL Vol 1 #19 (Aug 1978)

Title: At the Mercy of Ronan

Villain: Ronan the Accuser

Synopsis: Captain Marvel and the Avengers’ long-time foe Ronan the Accuser has returned to Earth with revenge on his mind. He encounters Ms. Marvel and because of her costume’s similarity to Captain Marvel’s own he attacks her.

Captain Marvel himself has detected Ronan’s presence and joins the battle. (Though Cap and Carol Danvers had a long history together in his own series, this is the first time that Mar-Vell is meeting Carol as the superpowered Ms. Marvel.)

Our heroine and Captain Marvel defeat Ronan, then Carol explains to Mar-Vell how she became Ms. Marvel. The two part as friends, since their romance is long behind them.   

FOR MY REVIEW OF THE ENTIRE AVENGERS STORY THE KREE-SKRULL WAR (1971-1972) CLICK HERE.