Issue(s): Marvel Super Heroes #5 (Speedball story only)
Cover Date: Apr 91 / Spring 91
Title: "Jolly Roger"
Credits:
Mary Jo Duffy - Script
Steve Ditko - Plot
Steve Ditko - Penciler
Mark Badger - Inker
Barry Dutter - Assistant Editor
Mike Rockwitz - Editor

Review/plot:
Well, it wouldn't feel like an issue of Marvel Super Heroes without another leftover Speedball story. This time, Speedball fights a pirate.

You can definitely see Mark Badger's inks, interesting over Ditko. But the best thing about this story is that the pirate's name is Jolly Roger, and he's really Roger Joliet, the assistant to the evil museum curator.

At the time that this issue was published, i would say that Speedball had more or less been rescued and turned into a credible, if mostly comic relief, character by Fabian Nicieza in New Warriors. Continuing to print these stories from his original cancelled series almost seemed to threaten that. I'd wager there were still readers that didn't buy Speedball as a character because of the way he was depicted in his original series.

Quality Rating: D

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: I've pushed this back to soon after Speedball's original series. Speedball is still trying to capture Niels the Cat for study, for what that's worth.

Other stories from this issue: Thor, Thing, Dr. Strange, She-Hulk.

References: N/A

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A