This weekend’s escapist, light-hearted superhero post from Balladeer’s Blog will take a look at the Marvel publications from January of 1974, excluding reprints.
THE AVENGERS Vol 1 #119 (January 1974)
Title: Night of the Collector
Avengers’ Roster: THOR (Donald Blake, MD), IRON MAN (Tony Stark), CAPTAIN AMERICA (Steve Rogers), THE SCARLET WITCH (Wanda), THE BLACK PANTHER (King T’Challa), THE VISION (Not applicable), THE SWORDSMAN (Jacques Duquesne) and MANTIS (Full name unknown at the time).
Villain: The Collector
Synopsis: The Avengers arrive back in New York after the previous issue’s final chapter of the Avengers-Defenders crossover story in which Dormammu and Loki teamed up to threaten the entire universe via the Evil Eye of Avalon. The eight Avengers – accompanied by Loki, who has been rendered helpless and insane from what happened in the Dark Dimension – return to Avengers Mansion.
NOTE: I previously covered the entire multi-part Avengers vs the Defenders war instigated by Loki and Dormammu HERE and HERE if you’re curious about what happened to Loki.
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 Mantis fought Dr. Strange during the Avengers/ Defenders War. Continue reading
DAREDEVIL AND THE BLACK WIDOW Vol 1 #95 (January 1973) 
When the Man-Bull begins rampaging through Frisco in order to flush out our hero, the Black Widow and Daredevil swing into action against him. Eventually the villain renders Daredevil unconscious, leaving the Black Widow alone against him for the cliffhanger ending. 
SPIDER-MAN Vol 1 #104 (January 1972) 
Back to the story, Spider-Man is saved from the quicksand by the timely arrival of 
AVENGERS Vol 1 #84 (January 1971) 
While searching for the Well at the Center of Time, the only safe place to hide the Ebony Blade, the Black Knight is captured by Arkon and his new consort – 
AVENGERS Vol 1 #72 (January 1970) 
This leads to the Avengers learning that Scorpio is not alone – he is a member of 
POWER MAN Vol 1 #21 (October 1974) 
The hurt and angry Power Man returns to his Hero for Hire office above the Gem Theater. Luke gets attacked there by the original Power Man, a former operative of Baron Zemo who was given his super-strength by the Avengers foe the Enchantress. 
FANTASTIC FOUR Vol 1 #129 (December 1972) 
Crystal, Johnny Storm’s longtime girlfriend and former member of the Fantastic Four, was forced to move back to the Inhumans’ hidden city of Attilan due to her body’s negative reaction to air pollution in the human world. 
SKULL THE SLAYER Vol 1 #1 (August 1975) 
It is not truly the Earth of millions of years ago, because it is anachronistically populated by dinosaurs and primates that were never alive during the same time periods. The only survivors of the plane crash are Scully, a young Native American man named Jeff Turner, an African American physician named Raymond Corey, and Corey’s young research assistant Ann Reynolds. 
BLONDE PHANTOM
ALL SELECT COMICS Vol 1 #11 (September 1946) 
PART FOUR
Synopsis: Adam Warlock has come to after his lapse into unconsciousness caused by the trauma of his Soul Gem’s theft of Kray-Tor’s soul at the end of last issue. He has awakened into a bizarre alternate reality with walkways and small islands of matter floating in an endless sky. Bizarre symbols and designs ornament the skyscape like imagery from an acid trip. 
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