Obsessively putting our comics in chronological order since 1985.
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She-Hulk #17
Issue(s): She-Hulk #17
Cover Date: Jun 81
Title: "Make way for the Man-Elephant"
Credits:
David Anthony Kraft - Writer
Mike Vosburg - Penciler
Frank Springer - Inker
Jack Abel - Assistant Editor
Al Milgrom - Editor
Review/plot:
In preparation for writing this entry, i spent some time thinking about what it is that makes the Rhino an awesome villain but makes the Man-Elephant, who is introduced in this story, ridiculous. (The Spider-Man villain Grizzly is another one.) Is it just because the Rhino debuted early enough that i accept him as a classic character? Is it because John Romita designed the Rhino and drew his first appearance? I can't help the fact that the Man-Elephant is ridiculous to me, but i wish i could articulate the reasons better.
The story is that a local entrepreneur ("Manfred Ellsworth Haller", obviously) approaches Sheriff Walters about taking down the She-Hulk. Walters, no fan of vigilantes, refuses, but Haller decides to do it anyway.
Here he is describing his suit.
And he begins a battle with She-Hulk.
I guess part of the problem with the Man-Elephant is that he's really gimmicky. The Rhino is a character of pure brute force. The Man-Elephant has all sorts of gadgets in his trunk and tusks.
Meanwhile, ADA Buck Bukowski learns that the car that crashed in issue #2, killing Jen's friend Jill, was sabotaged by the mobster Nick Trask's men. Bukowski realizes that this means that She-Hulk was actually trying to save Jill, and his interference in that issue cost Jill her life.
When Bukowski brings this to Sheriff Walters' attention, he shows up to stop the fight with Man-Elephant.
Haller had been finding himself addicted to the powers his Man-Elephant suit was giving him, so he recants, issuing an apology and vowing to stop being the Man-Elephant. She-Hulk, however, continues to be blustery and ungracious.
Morris Walter's decision to call off the pursuit of She-Hulk doesn't affect his relationship with his daughter, and Jen returns home to learn that her father is going to sell the house that she lives in.
We continue to see a kind of merging of Jen and She-Hulk's personalities. Jen stands up to Bukowski this issue (before he gets his humbling revelation)...
...and then later speculates that it's her She-Hulk side coming through.
My favorite scene in issue #13 was Zapper making a goofy expression while staring through the window at Jen and Richard Rory. And this issue graces me with another one.
Maybe it's just me, but i find those panels hilarious. I kinda want to print out pictures of Zapper's face and hang them on some of the windows in my house.
This time, Zapper's peeping tom adventure results in Jen leaving the house, transforming into She-Hulk, and forcefully making out with Zapper.
It's really a weird set-up that Jen/She-Hulk has going on. Thor did this right; he got both his love interests merged into one body. But She-Hulk has done it the opposite way: two boyfriends, one for each persona. Rory leaves at the end of the issue, but he'll quickly return to the series.
Some significant developments this issue, and i'm not talking about the introduction of the Man-Elephant. The Jen/She-Hulk identity issues are moving along nicely. Buck Bukowski's revelations will lead to a real reversal of character for him. And the pardoning of the She-Hulk is equally important as a status-quo changer. Kraft is making some moves here to shake up the title, and it's for the better. I guess even Richard Rory's exit could be seen in that light; a way to resolve the love triangle, even though it doesn't last.
Quality Rating: C
Historical Significance Rating: 2 - first Man-Elephant
Chronological Placement Considerations: N/A
References:
- Jen's friend Jill died thanks to a sabotaged car in She-Hulk #2.
- Bukowski's evidence clearing She-Hulk is added to testimony from informers that were shown in She-Hulk #6.
Crossover: N/A
Continuity Insert? N
My Reprint: N/A
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Comments
The Man-Elephant is lamer than the Rhino because of the visuals. The Rhino is very basic, but he looks threatening. Man-Elephant looks comedic.
There is no reason why the Grizzly should be so lame except that he is not a credible threat. He never presented a real challenge to Spidey, and that his power is based on some hokey hydraulic power suit instead of being intrinsic to him reduces his threat. If his power was inherent in him, then he might at least make a good B-lister. I don't mind power-suit characters, or characters that are otherwise normal except for some artificial power, but it requires more work. The writer either needs to make the villain more independent that he can recreate his artificial power if needed, and also make a proper assessment whether the cost of making the powersuit (or whatever) is made up by spectacular enough crimes.
The Man-Elephant was probably inspired by the play/film "The Elephant Man" from the previous year.
I would suggest that the Man-Elephant is also lame because of perception. Even though they are herbivores and hardly dangerous to man, rhinos (probably because of the horns) seem dangerous. Elephants, especially the costume done here, don't seem so dangerous (I just think of Babar). Likewise, hippos, which kill more humans in Africa every year than any other animal are often thought of as more cute and cuddly and I think that would look ridiculous as a villain.
There's also too much use of gadgets in the suit. Part of the reason Rhino is a good villain is that he's incredibly strong and he just runs around smashing things. If you're going to be an animal, be a brute, don't try to be a clever elephant.
Perception counts a lot with animal men- Danny O'Neil once said that he briefly considered having Azrael be an owl-man since owls are natural enemies of bats but decided against it since owls have had great PR over the centuries. That might be why the Owl never became a major villain.
Perception counts a lot with animal men- Danny O'Neil once said that he briefly considered having Azrael be an owl-man since owls are natural enemies of bats but decided against it since owls have had great PR over the centuries. That might be why the Owl never became a major villain.
Though that doesn't seem to have hurt Owlman or the Court of Owls too much.
