This weekend’s light-hearted, escapist superhero blog post takes a look at the early issues of Marvel Comics’ adaptation of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ 1911 literary creation John Carter of Mars.
JOHN CARTER, WARLORD OF MARS Vol 1 #1 (June 1977)
Title: Air-Pirates of Mars, Chapter One
Villains: The Air-Pirates of Mars
Comment: For my fellow geeks for Burroughs’ John Carter novels, let me point out that this entire Marvel series was set during the 9-year gap between John Carter marrying Dejah Thoris and the malfunctioning of the Atmosphere Plant in the final part of the first book, A Princess of Mars.
When John’s wife Dejah gets abducted by the Air-Pirates of Mars, he sets out to find her and free her from their clutches. Unfortunately, he falls into the hands of the adversarial Warhoon tribe of Green Martians. Naturally, Marvel kept all the swords, aircraft and radium pistols from the novels. Continue reading
This weekend’s light-hearted, escapist superhero post from Balladeer’s Blog looks at some of the early stories during the time when Daredevil and the Black Widow were a team, like 
DAREDEVIL & THE BLACK WIDOW Vol 1 #92 (October 1972) 
POWER MAN Vol 1 #48 (December 1977) 
Shades (at right) and Comanche, escaped cons who served time at Seagate Prison with Luke Cage back when he went by his real name Carl Lucas, were sent by Bushmaster to abduct Power Man’s girlfriend Dr. Claire Temple and her colleague Dr. Noah Burstein. They have done so and, per Bushmaster’s orders, they give Luke Cage/ Carl Lucas their boss’s ultimatum. 
They make it clear to Power Man that to gain the release of those two doctors he has been close to for years, he must capture and deliver to Bushmaster one of his foes, private investigator Misty Knight. The villain doesn’t just send Shades and Comanche (at left) to abduct her because Misty’s associates, her investigative partner Colleen Wing and the superhero Iron Fist, stand beside her. 
FANTASTIC FOUR Vol 1 #44 (November 1965) 
Through a comic book coincidence, the Human Torch gets caught in the middle of a fight between the super villainess called Medusa and her fellow Inhuman called Gorgon. 
SGT. FURY AND HIS HOWLING COMMANDOS Vol 1 #1 (May 1963) 
GIANT-SIZE SUPERVILLAIN TEAM-UP Vol 1 #1 (March 1975) 
NOVA Vol 1 #1 (September 1976) 
X-MEN Vol 1 #52 (January 1969) 
Synopsis: The recently arrived evil mutant called Erik the Red says he has come to Magneto’s subterranean lair out west to join his forces. Erik demonstrates his powers against the Demi-Men, Magneto’s latest team of mutants intent on conquering humanity. 
MARVEL PREMIERE Vol 1 #20 (January 1975)
THE AVENGERS Vol 1 #119 (January 1974) 
The crazed, uncomprehending Loki is kept in custody at Avengers Mansion because this is set during a period when Odin had forbidden him to return to Asgard under any circumstances. Time passes, and at one point the Black Panther pursues with Mantis his wish to learn some of her other-worldly martial arts. T’Challa first got the idea when he saw how well 
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