Marvel-ous Monday: "Beware the Basilisk My Son!" by Wein, Kane, and Mooney

Greetings, Groove-ophiles! We're gonna kick off this week with a rare teaming of Spider-Man and Captain Marvel (the male, cosmic one) from Marvel Team-Up #16 (September 1973). "Beware the Basilisk My Son!" introduces a new villain named (what else?) the Basilisk, and it has Spidey and Mar-Vell tracking down some powerful cosmic Kree jewels--no, not the Infinity Stones, believe it or not--but the Alpha and Omega Stones. Were they some kinda relation to the far more famous gems for which Thanos hankers so much? Evidently not, which is either a missed opportunity or a save from an even more convoluted back story. Anywho, it's interesting that Marvel's cosmic adventures are so tied into cosmic gems of some type or another, no? It's a fun, action-packed tale by Len Wein, Gil Kane, and Jim Mooney. It's also a set-up for a team-up with Mr. Fantastic and Spidey helping our Kree Captain from his predicament--with Mole Man tossed in for good measure. Mull that over for a month or so, baby, but until then, let's dig on today's titanic tale!

Cover art by John Romita Sr. and Frank Giacoia

Marvel-ous Monday: "Behind the Mask of Zo!" by Goodwin, Heck, and Shores

Greetings, Groove-ophiles! Well, here we are! The final issue of the "green" era of Marvel's Captain Marvel--issue #16 (June 1969). If you haven't noticed, the most consistent thing about the early Captain Mar-Vell was that nothing was consistent! His motives changed, his powers changed, his mission changed, and even his costume changed a little (up to this point). Now, under the hands of author Archie Goodwin and artists Don Heck and Syd Shores, the whole magilla was getting wrapped up, and Marv would have a totally different look (and outlook, and powers, and mission...) by the end of "Behind the Mask of Zo!" Check it out...

Oh, and yeah, the radically different next ish. featuring the blue and red Marv by Roy Thomas, Gil Kane, and Dan Adkins can be found right here!

Marvel-ous Monday: "That Zo May Live...a Galaxy Must Die!" by Friedrich, Sutton, and Adkins

Greetings, Groove-ophiles! Ya know, Ol' Groove loves Jim Starlin's Captain Marvel run. It's one of the all-time best comics imho, and that's a fact. But, for a long time, Ol' Groove was under the impression that t'was Judo Jim who brought the cosmic to Captain Marvel. Well, as we've already seen (last ish and in ish #11), it just ain't so. Starlin did it best, but he wasn't the first. Here's another example of the Green Uniform Captain Marvel being oh-so-cosmic: "That Zo May Live...a Galaxy Must Die!" from Captain Marvel #15 (May 1969). I mean, before you read it, just look at the images! The layouts, the colors, the "pop art" stylings--even the stars in Mar-Vell's eyes! Here's the wildest thing: remember Starlin was the artist who took over writing the mag? Dig this: writer Gary Friedrich did the layouts for this story! Far-out, huh? And the art-team for this ish is a unique one, as well: Tom Sutton and Dan Adkins. (Why: Am: I: Using: So: Many: Colons?) And amidst all the weirdness, Mar-Vell even visits Heaven, Hell, his home world Kree-Lar, and even his hometown of Rad-Nam. All of this is supposed to lead to a battle with a robotic Kree idol called Tam-Bor that, in silhouette at least, looks for all the world like a giant fish skeleton. Yeah, this mag is a trip, baby!

Cover art by Marie Severin and John Verpoorten