For this weekend’s escapist superhero post Balladeer’s Blog will go with a Halloween theme and examine the Marvel Comics character Gabriel, often called an exorcist and demon or devil hunter. Agatha Harkness shows up in his adventures.
HAUNT OF HORROR Vol 2 #2 (July 1974)
Title: Gabriel: Devil-Hunter
Villain: The demoness Catherine
Synopsis: At Saint Benedict’s Cathedral in Manhattan, Father Lazar realizes that his fellow priest Father Artemis has become possessed and has vandalized the site. When the invading spirit causes Father Artemis to spout blasphemies during his sermon and leap from a height sufficient to break both his legs, Father Lazar (I like to think his first name is Rem) seeks help from an enigmatic, unaffiliated exorcist called Gabriel.
Father Lazar goes to the Empire State Building and pushes the button for the 13th Floor, which does not really exist but IS the way to enter Gabriel’s other-dimensional office. That office is cluttered with occult tomes on exorcism and once Lazar enters, he is greeted by Gabriel’s sultry assistant Desadia.
She psychically sensed him coming and ushers him in to see Gabriel. Expository dialogue between Father Lazar and our main character makes it clear that Gabriel was once a priest under Lazar’s authority. Father Lazar hires Gabriel to exorcise Father Artemis despite some implied hostility between the pair in the past.
Gabriel and the priest arrive at the chamber where the broken-legged Father Artemis is being confined to his bed, like Regan in The Exorcist. Amid the usual hostile and taunting exchanges between the possessed and the exorcist, Gabriel learns that the invading spirit is Catherine, an old foe of our hero. She is the spirit of a woman burned as a witch in Europe centuries ago. Continue reading
GALLOPING TO A WIN – The KENTUCKY STATE THOROBREDS scored 4 rushing Touchdowns on the road against the SAVANNAH STATE TIGERS. A 7-0 1st Quarter lead for the Thorobreds turned into a 21-6 advantage by Halftime. Each team added another TD to their tally in the 3rd Quarter before a scoreless 4th as KSU won out 28-13. 
TIGER ON TIGER VIOLENCE – In this game the EDWARD WATERS UNIVERSITY TIGERS got off the schneid for 2022 against the visiting MOREHOUSE COLLEGE MAROON TIGERS. The Tigers were on top of their Maroon opponents 28-7 by the Half and kept up the pressure from there. The final score was Edward Waters 49 Maroon Tigers 20. 
MR. GRUBBE’S NIGHT WITH MEMNON (1843) – Written by Albert Smith and republished in 1857, this tale centered around one Mister Withers Grubbe, an elderly inhabitant of the western part of London. Grubbe is an enthusiast when it comes to ancient history among other topics and visits a London Museum to see their new exhibit of Egyptian antiquities. 
After spending time marveling at assorted statues of various sizes and a mummy identified as Memnon, Withers finds a quiet corner to sit down for a rest. He falls asleep and when he wakes up, he discovers it is long past closing time and somehow he was overlooked when the museum was locking up. 
THE MINI-MUNSTERS (1973) – This children’s cartoon version of The Munsters originally aired on October 27th, 1973 as one of the hour-long (including commercials) episodes of the second season of ABC’s Saturday Superstar Movie. That version was 44 minutes long without commercials. ABC later edited it down into a VERY incoherent 22-minute version that they proceeded to combine with commercials to make a half-hour Halloween cartoon which they would broadcast into the 1980s. 
Not that the 44-minute version is a masterpiece, but it holds together much better than the edited version. You can judge for yourself because no less than THREE versions of The Mini-Munsters are available online: The original 44-minute version in color, the 22-minute version in color AND a black & white version of the 44-minute original. 
SAMSON IN THE LEGENDS OF THE JEWS – Samson was born the son of Manoah, a man of the Dan tribe and his wife Zelalponit aka Hazelalponit of the tribe of Judah. 
Independent Voter site Balladeer’s Blog does another news roundup. 
LANE COLLEGE CONQUERS DIVISION ONE – NCAA Division Two’s LANE COLLEGE DRAGONS visited NCAA Division One’s TENNESSEE STATE TIGERS. A 13-10 Dragons edge at Halftime turned into a 20-17 lead to end the 3rd Quarter. The Tigers forced Overtime with a 20-20 tie to end Regulation, then scored 7 points in the extra session. Lane College took a gamble by going for 2 after notching a TD of their own and SUCCEEDED for a gutsy 28-27 Upset. 
TOPPLING NUMBER SIX – Staying in D2 for a moment, the MISSISSIPPI COLLEGE CHOCTAWS took it on the road against the number 6 team in the nation – the UNIVERSITY OF WEST GEORGIA WOLVES. The Wolves held a 21-10 advantage at the Half and a 28-23 lead in the 3rd Quarter. In the 4th the Choctaws came from behind to win this Instant Classic 39-38. 
DOWN GOES NUMBER SEVEN – Over in the NAIA the ARIZONA CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY FIRESTORM welcomed the country’s number 7 team – the OTTAWA UNIVERSITY (AZ) SPIRIT. The Spirit were on top 24-9 at the break, but the Firestorm cut that to a 31-23 deficit in the 3rd Quarter before pulling out a 40-38 comeback victory in the 4th. 
WEREWOLF BY NIGHT – Since Marvel has a Werewolf by Night production coming out soon, we’ll start with this character. Moon Knight made his very first appearance in Werewolf by Night #32 (August 1975) but beat the werewolf to the screen this year. 
ONE-POINT WONDERS – The UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT PEMBROKE BRAVES welcomed the FROSTBURG STATE BOBCATS and snuck past them by a score of 10-9 ### And the TUSCULUM COLLEGE PIONEERS won 14-13 at the BARTON COLLEGE BULLDOGS. 
BLOWOUT – In this game the JOHNSON C. SMITH UNIVERSITY GOLDEN BULLS took the field against the ELIZABETH CITY STATE VIKINGS. The 1st Quarter ended in a 14-14 tie, but from there the Golden Bulls took control. By Halftime Johnson C. Smith University was up 35-14 on their way to a 49-14 triumph. 
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