Issue(s): Avengers Spotlight #35
Cover Date: Aug 90
Title: "Call me whatshisname"
Credits:
Danny Fingeroth - Writer
Jim Valentino - Penciler
Jeffrey Albrecht - Inker
Len Kaminski - Managing Editor
Mark Gruenwald - Editor

Review/plot:
This is a full-length Gilgamesh story that interrupts the Steve Gerber Hawkeye story that ran from issues #30-36, and i'm therefore assuming it was a deadline necessitated fill-in. Marvel was experimenting with the Avengers Spotlight format at this time, probably out of desperation based on the sales numbers and the feedback in the lettercol reacting to the quality of the back-up stories in this book, so a full-length Gilgamesh story may have been in the works anyway. Which is not to say that a Gilgamesh solo story is a logical answer to your sales problems.

Actually, Gilgamesh's lack of popularity is the focus of this story, and i think it's a clever angle. The idea is that Gilgamesh is a little distraught over the fact that he's always the "Forgotten One". His epic feats in ancient days are attributed to various heroes, and in modern times he didn't exactly hit it off as an Avenger (a little meta commentary there).

Some characters just aren't going to take off. So for Gilgamesh, Danny Fingeroth embraces that, and the idea here is that there's something intrinsic about Gilgamesh that makes it so that he never gets credit for what he's done. That comes off very clearly when Sprite takes Gilgamesh to Paris, and Gilgamesh stops some bank robbers...

...only for a random actor to get the credit.

Then, out of nowhere, a dragon-riding warlord named B'Gon the Sorcerer shows up to attack Gilgamesh.

Gilgamesh doesn't know B'Gon, but B'Gon says that Gilgamesh slayed the first dragon that B'Gon created, centuries ago.

So B'Gon put himself in suspended animation while waiting for more dragons to hatch, only to wake up and find Gilgamesh still around. My money was on the whole thing being an illusion by Sprite to cheer Gilgamesh up, but that doesn't seem to be the case.

B'Gon turns out to be at least partially dragon himself.

Gilgamesh is able to defeat all the dragons, in part thanks to techniques he learned from Buffalo Bill...

...and then Sprite disguises himself as Captain America in an attempt to help Gilgamesh get the credit.

But even that doesn't work (funny that they're in Paris but reading the Daily Bugle).

The issue ends on a positive note, with Sprite convincing Gilgamesh that the fact that his name actually appeared in the paper, and spelled correctly, is a step in the right direction. I actually think it should have gone the other way, with Gilgamesh realizing that he's never going to get credit for his deeds, and coming to terms with that. But either way i like the idea that Gilgamesh just can't be recognized for his actions.

I should say that i don't think there has to be a correlation between a character being popular in the real world vs. the comic universe or vice versa. I just think it's a fun thing to do in this case. His name is the Forgotten One, after all. I'll also note that with a full 22 pages to work with, it's possible to get the idea across without it feeling rushed or overly jokey. And on top of that, we get to see Jim Valentino draw some dragons, so it's a fine fill-in.

Quality Rating: C

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: N/A

References:

• At the start of this story, Gilgamesh has recovered from the injuries sustained in Avengers #305-310 and is working on rebuilding Olympia.

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A

Fnord, Typo Alert (that feels weird when I do it...):
Under the last image posted you've written,
"I actually think it should have went the other way...", when it should read:
"I actually think it should have GONE the other way...".
OK, it's not really a typo; it's more of a... grammar...O.

A grammo.

Changed it.

I think fnord has that particular grammo ("Should have went...") at least 30 times on this site. No changing him now:-)

I don't think anyone with the name Gilgamesh could ever bee taken seriously.

I think if I had not already dropped Avengers Spotlight by this time, this would have made me drop it.