Issue(s): Marvel Comics Presents #89 (Spitfire story only)
Cover Date: 1991
Title: "Young blood"
Credits:
Dan Slott - Writer
Rita Fagiani - Penciler
Jim Starlin - Inker
Mark Powers - Assistant Editor
Terry Kavanagh - Editor

Review/plot:
Jim Starlin doing inks for a Spitfire story in Marvel Comics Presents has me scratching my head a bit. I wonder if he knew the penciler and was trying to help her break in (this is her only comics credit as far as i can tell) but that's pure speculation; i'm just trying to figure out why he'd be doing inks. Jim Starlin doing pencils for a short story at a time when he was only writing books for Marvel would have been something that justified the existence of a Marvel Comics Presents issue, but inks over some very amateurish looking pencils for a story about characters that Starlin has never expressed interest in before is odd.

The story here is Spitfire vs. Selene. Selene sees Spitfire on television, explaining her recent de-aging, and Selene is intrigued by the energy draining potential, in between terrorizing the Hellfire Club goon assigned to escort her on her trip to England.

Meanwhile, Spitfire's son, Kenneth Falsworth (who is physically older than she is now), tries to convince his mom that it's been long enough since dad died and it's time for her to get into the dating scene again. That presents a problem for Spitfire, who is too physically young for men her actual age, and too mentally mature for men her physical age. Kenneth suggests that she split the difference and talk to a local middle-aged tavern owner, who she saved during World War II when he was a young boy and who has had a crush on her ever since. But when she goes into the tavern to talk to the barkeep, Selene kidnaps Kenneth.

Selene admits she wants to vivisect Spitfire to learn the secret of her blood, because (she says) her own method of rejuvenation is too inefficient (not that we've ever seen her struggle with it before). John Byrne made a point of saying that Spitfire's reaction to the Human Torch was due to something unique in her body chemistry, specifically to avoid stories where everyone and their cousin goes after the Torch for his blood, but i guess nothing would prevent everyone and their cousin from going after the finished product in Spitfire's blood (nor, i suppose, would everyone know/believe that the reaction was unique to Spitfire).

Despite Kenneth being tied up a short distance away with a voice-activated bomb, Spitfire risks attacking Selene to prevent her from speaking the command word long enough to race over to Kenneth and free him...

...and she does manage to do so.

A weird thing you have to accept about these short stories is that it's perfectly normal for someone to get attacked by a super-villain, survive the attack, and then go home to have a drink and laugh about it. Spitfire has connections to the Avengers in addition to being a member of the British ruling class, and Selene is theoretically a public figure. You'd think Selene attacking Spitfire would have some repercussions.

Dan Slott seems determined to fit every bit of British slang he can think of into this story. I'll leave it to British commenters to say for sure, but i have a hard time seeing Spitfire, who is from a noble family, using words like "rotter" or talking about sticky wickets.

Even beyond what's appropriate for Spitfire, there are enough "Cors!" and the like to ruddy stuff a bleedin' boot, wot?

Quality Rating: D

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: Takes place after Namor #12, and probably shouldn't take place after Namor #15 or so, when Spitfire starts helping out with the management of Oracle due to Namor's absence.

References:

• Spitfire got her powers from a blood infusion from the Golden Age Human Torch in Invaders #11.
  
• She was de-aged after a second infusion from the Torch in Namor #12.
  
• Spitfire's husband died in Captain America #254.

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A