Issue(s): Marvel Super Heroes #11 (Giant-Man story only)
Cover Date: Oct 92 / Fall 92
Title: "Not to touch the earth"
Credits:
Dwayne McDuffie - Script
Jim Shooter - Plot
Bob Budiansky & Don Hudson - Penciler
Christopher Ivy & Manny Manos - Inker
Dan Cuddy, Joe Andreani, & Anna Mazzarelli - Assistant Editor
Rob Tokar - Editor

Review/plot:
"Manny Manos" is surely a variation on Many Hands.

I have no idea why or when Jim Shooter would have plotted a Bill Foster Giant-Man story, but it's finished here by Dwayne McDuffie. The pencil breakdown is the first 12 pages by Bob Budiansky and the 4 remaining by Don Hudson.

The issue opens with some snappy scripting from Duffie.

At the door is a frustrated scientist named Arlo Samuelson, who wants Bill Foster to read his manuscript on levitation. Foster is busy and not interested. But later, when his date Celia Jackson cancels due to a cold, he sits down and reads the document and finds that there's merit to Samuelson's theories. In the meantime, after a fight with his girlfriend...

...Samuelson becomes desperate enough to test out his theories on himself, and finds that he can indeed levitate.

Later, at Stark Enterprises West, Bill hears that "Air Walker" is on a rampage.

There's something about gold being what's needed to cancel out Air Walker's powers, which have him unable to touch the ground.

Air Walker recognizes Giant-Man as Bill Foster almost immediately. I thought his giant booming voice was supposed to disguise his identity.

Giant-Man's size starts off as a detriment against the more agile Air Walker...

...but he eventually manages to grab him and bring him to the ground.

It turns out touching the ground was enough to discharge Air Walker's powers, which were also driving him insane.

Foster than offers Samuelson a job at Stark West.

But Samuelson's reunification with his girlfriend reminds Foster that he's missed his make-up date with Celia.

Quality Rating: C

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: The MCP places this after Foster's appearance in West Coast Avengers #39. But that seems odd given that he's said to be working for "Stark West" in this story. In West Coast Avengers annual #3, which takes place before West Coast Avengers #39, he was recruited into the High Evolutionary's organization when he thought it was legitimate, before he found out what they were about. I suppose he could have went back to Stark after that, but it again seems odd for him to be in what seems like the same position he was in before he quit and before Stark Industries was replaced by Stane and then back again. He's even still got Dale West working for him. So i went through a whole bunch of thinking to figure out how far back to push this, and then realized that another panel confirms that it's Stark Enterprises West, which isn't the name until after Stark gets the company back from Stane. So fine, after West Coast Avengers #39 it is.

The Ms. Marvel and Ghost Rider stories from this issue are in separate entries.

References: N/A

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A

I still say it's weird to refer to the western branch of Stark Enterprises as "Stark West" or even "Stark Enterprises West"- in every other story, it's just been Stark Enterprises, which makes sense, since Tony is managing the western branch personally.

I agree. I'm sure this story was written to take place in an earlier period but with that narration panel it seems they deliberately made a decision to update it.

The title "Not to Touch the Earth" is also the title of a Doors song.

Woo hoo! I got to it before Mark Drummond!

Oh, I noticed it, but since the song was nearly a quarter-century old by that point and not contemporaneous, I didn't consider it worth mentioning.