Obsessively putting our comics in chronological order since 1985.
| 1984-06-01 00:11:10 |
| Previous: US 1 #8-12 | Up: Main | Next: Thing #12-13 |
Power Man & Iron Fist #106
Issue(s): Power Man & Iron Fist #106
Cover Date: Jun 84
Title: "...And an ill wind shall come!"
Credits:
Alan Rowlands - Writer
Greg LaRocque - Penciler
Andy Mushynsky - Inker
Review/plot:
This issue is written by Alan Rowlands, who didn't do very much for Marvel. Three issues of Power Man & Iron Fist, a couple issues of Conan. Not sure if he did anything outside of Marvel.
I don't really like the writing. The plot of this issue hinges on the idea that people in poor neighborhoods will stick together and stand up for one of their own that "makes it", even if they make it as a criminal. So when a weird lady with a love/hate relationship with Whirlwind hires Iron Fist to protect her from him (although she later whacks Iron Fist on the back of the head with a chair to help Whirlwind)...
...the people of Whirlwind's neighborhood (of varying ethnicities) rally and attack Iron Fist. But Luke Cage understands these type of people, you see, so he shows up to help. And basically just threatens to beat them all up if they don't stop.
It's a weird issue based on a weird premise. And the scripting is bad, too. Luke says at one point, "Been a long time since I hung out with the brothers...".
I don't know Rowlands' ethnicity [update: see Rob Marsh's comment below], but the book reads to me like someone trying way too hard to write an "authentic" portrayal of urban neighborhoods. And i just wanted a decent Iron Fist/Whirlwind fight.
It's said that Whirlwind can't spin at high speeds without his helmet. I don't think that's ever been shown to be true before. I'm not sure if it makes sense. Most mutant powers seem to also supply the ability to survive the use of them (i.e., Quicksilver can run super fast without his bones getting crushed, Iceman doesn't freeze to death), but i guess that's not true of all of them. Regardless, i guess if we have seen Whirlwind spinning without his helmet, we could just say that in that instance he wasn't spinning at top speed. So it's pretty much irrelevant.
Quality Rating: C-
Historical Significance Rating: 1
Chronological Placement Considerations: N/A
References: N/A
Crossover: N/A
Continuity Insert? N
My Reprint: N/A
| Previous: US 1 #8-12 | Up: Main | Next: Thing #12-13 |
Comments
I think Alan Rowlands was a pseudonym, but I don't know enough to guarantee it.
Whirlwhind was able to spin without a helmet in later installments of Giant-Man in Tales To Astonish.
Alan was a very nerdy white guy- the total epitome of a comic book geek. He had all the stereotypes. I carpooled to San Diego ComicCon with him in the early 80s. I was in my early 20s and he seemed old to me... late 30s/ early 40s? He had a dream of being a comic book writer. I guess he picked up a couple jobs from Marvel. I was surprised to open up this book and see his name. And then... he disappeared....
Thanks for sharing that, Rob.
I quite like the subtle bit of backstory for Whirlwind in this issue, which shows that he had a creepy infatuation with the unattainable rich girl form his high school days despite being "the king" of his neighborhood thanks to his mutant powers. Clearly he transferred his creepy infatuation over to the Wasp, also a wealthy heiress and superhero.
I liked the plot of this issue, enough to remember it after all these years. It adds character to Whirlwind by portraying him as an actual human being with a history, instead of just another mindless thug in a suit.
It also expanded on Danny's character, making him self-conscious of how different & alone he is compared to ordinary people. Even someone like Whirlwind got to grow up in a normal community, attend high school, and develop relationships with a fair amount of people, things that were all missing from Danny's life. After the fight, Cage tells Danny he should be proud of his moves (Danny successfully defended himself from a mob of attackers without suffering a single hit), and Danny replies, "I guess so, they're all I've got".
Finally, I love how Cage put an end to the fight. "Awright, who's tired of their teeth?!?". The only reason the mob was attacking Danny is because they knew he wasn't trying to hurt them, because he's too much of a nice guy. Then, Cage shows up, obviously pissed off, angrily & effortlessly flipping over a car with one hand as he stalks toward the fight scene. Haha!
