Super-Villain Team-Up #6-7Issue(s): Super-Villain Team-Up #6, Super-Villain Team-Up #7 Review/plot: Now that he's not wearing the black costume, Namor needs regular doses of an antidote from Doom in order to be able to breathe out of water. Then, in the greatest Super-Villain Team-Up of all, Henry Kissinger shows up... ...forms an alliance with Doom... ...and tells the Fantastic Four to go blow. Classic government lackey Reed Richards says "We've never bucked the government before, and we can't start now." and the FF go home, despite protests from the Thing and the Human Torch. They do stop off at Hydrobase and let the amphibians know where Namor is, though. The Shroud then shows up in Latveria and tells Namor that he's going to kill Dr. Doom. Namor thinks he's nuts and ignores him, which is pretty reasonable. However, the Shroud does actually manage to defeat Doom (who was apparently about to rape one of his villagers)... ...and throws him off a cliff. Doom is rescued by Namorita and Tamara. Englehart was generally one of Marvel's better writers at this time, but these three issues are truly awful. We learn the details of the Shroud's origin in these issues (i covered it in his introduction in issue #5). Quality Rating: D Chronological Placement Considerations: Sub-Mariner appears in Daredevil annual #4 between last issue and this arc. Takes place during Fantastic Four #176 for the FF (see the considerations for SVTU #5 and FF #176 for more). These issues end with Namor stuck in Latveria with Shroud, without the antidote that he needs to remain alive, and we'll see him still in Latveria at the beginning of issue #8. This has been pushed forward in publication time since we shouldn't have too much time between this issue and the beginning of #8 (or Namor will die!), but issues #8-9 are part of a crossover with Avengers #154-156. References:
Crossover: N/A Continuity Insert? N My Reprint: N/A Inbound References (10): show 1976 / Box 11 / EiC Upheaval CommentsRalph Macchio has letters in both issues. Posted by: Mark Drummond | June 29, 2013 4:02 PM I actually thought the Kissinger twist (and subsequent FF argument) was brilliant, a way to comment on the idealism v. realpolitik arguments that dominated real-world issues at the time, where the USA was only too happy to hop into bed with any dictator who would have us because "hey, otherwise the Commies will win!". That said, the subsequent pimpage of Englehart's Batman clone, the Shroud, to the extent that he beats Doctor Doom (and even thinks he's killed him!) is silly as all get-out. But Steve was getting pushed out of Marvel at around this time, so perhaps this disrespect for their signature villain was something of a middle finger salute? I don't know. Posted by: Dan Spector | June 14, 2017 2:35 PM "We've never bucked the government before, and we can't start now." Apart from that little matter of stealing a spaceship with inadequate protection against cosmic rays and going on an unauthorised jaunt. "...but after winning the confidence of every President from Kennedy to Ford..." So the sliding timeline wasn't in operation at that point. Posted by: The Small Lebowski | January 7, 2018 3:52 PM Comments are now closed. |
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