Punch Up: “To Me My ❌-Men”
Chapter Twenty-Four:
1984
September, 1984, Thor No. 350 by W. Simonson, Scheele, Workman + Gruenwald
Mixtape track: Give it to Me Baby by Rick James
Chapter 24 in “to me my ❌-Men,” in which I crunch numbers and talk real life inter office romance in order to further explain why Thor is an ❌-Men comic and follow that up with a comic featuring zero ❌-Men.
Previously on “to me my ❌-Men,” Thor is part of a throuple with HildeSif as they rouble elbows with comics creators in Vermont, one Hallows Eve, thanks to Loki and then a dozen years later, a foundation is building, and a meeting has pulled some threads together…oh and we survived a rough one in Japan.
Nobody is saying the ❌-Men are the typical path, or everyone’s cup of tea. In fact it can be confusing how influential they are on the 80’s going forward and how it took Iron Man in 2008 on film to reframe Marvel to be Avengers centric. There is the narrative about bankruptcy law (don’t get me started) and absolutely credit going to Marvel making a film in house, having Kevin lead the way, and the casting genius of RDJ.
This all matters. The narrative that was spun by Stan Lee’s propaganda beginning in the 60’s places legitimately Spider-Man ahead of everyone else, but also legitimately kept the ❌-Men from being framed as anything more than a footnote for the last decade of his time as Editor in Chief and the last decade of his comics writing career (at 19 in 1941-1972 at 49, became Publisher). During that final decade, sandwiched in between was the Fantastic Four, an Avenger, and Daredevil, in terms of legitimate influence on the comics market and culture. The Avenger was Thor. We credit Jack Kirby for this.
For context:
No marvel comic was breaking into the top 25 comics after the Senate hearings in 1954 and the Atlas crash in 1957. That is until Rawhide Kid, Kid Colt Outlaw and Tales to Astonish (Ant-Man and The Wasp) were No. 23-25 in units sold per month. They were followed on the list by other Avenger featured titles, the last being Thor, and then Patsy and Millie (who had pretty consistently been their top sellers the years before). Marvel held the 23-30 spot in units sold per month in 1963, but failed to brake into the top 25 in 1964 and 1965.
With the Batman TV show debuting in 1966, superheroes became popular. They were anemic until then. That isn’t to say that all the other genres (and there is a full spectrum) weren’t popular, they were, but clearly Superheroes were back like they had been during the build up and participation in WWII. This timing aligns with 1965 escalation in the then decade old Vietnam conflict which ended in 1975.
In 1966, as Batman is on TV, and our youth were being sent across the Pacific in larger numbers, the Amazing Spider-Man became the 16th most monthly distributed comic in North America. The 19th was the Fantastic Four, and Thor was 23rd.
In 1967, Spidy was 14th, FF 17th and Thor 21st. In 1968, Spidy 12th, FF 16th, Thor 21st again, with Daredevil 23rd and Fury’s war title 25th. Edging out a title that transitions from Ant-Man/Wasp to Hulk, and the Avengers comic, with another transition title that becomes Captain America and finally the ❌-Men at 30.
Marvel is framing itself as the revolutionary comic, the one the Hippies, protestors, and those fighting overseas are into. So by 1969, they really have arrived as a legitimate contributor with DC in the superhero comics business. Spidy breaks into the top ten for the first time at No. 7. FF is 12th, Thor is right there at 17. Hulk final breaks in at 18, DD is 21, Cap also makes a move at 22, with Fury at 23. It is only then that the Avengers finally make No. 25. And the ❌-Men are right there at 26.
But from there the ❌-Men go into reprints till 1975. While Marvel gets even stranger, as they have lost Ditko and then Kirby, and then Lee creatively, and pick up their own distribution.
The fact is, Batman dragged superheroes into relevance, and it is more accurate to say Romita’s Spider-Man, not Ditko’s pulled Marvel into relevancy, with the help from Kirby’s Fantastic Four and Thor. The also and going to Daredevil, not Everett or Woods, but Gene Colan’s. Which helped lift the Hulk by Herb Trimpe, not Kirby’s the year of the Summer of Love.
The 70’s play out in fascinating ways, and the data is hard to track, but it seems like a diverse and active decade that benefits Marvel, while keeping them weird. That weirdness somehow turn into the 80’s and the Claremont Era of ❌-Men. Which dominates and informs the 90’s collectors bubble and crash, because the Daredevil and ❌-Men editorial team is essentially all the same click by the end of the decade and is being infiltrated and blown up by the 90’s creators of Image Comics.
But then there is Thor again, in the mix at the heart of the 80’s. This time because Walt Simonson met Louise Jones in 1973, started dating in 1974, and were married by 1980, and then in 1983, he took over penciling and writing The Mighty Thor. His relationship with Louise and her critical role along with Ann Nocenti in collaboration with Chris Claremont, resulted in a Thor who was as much part of the Avengers line as he was the ❌-Men line.
Jim Shooter was interested in marketing and sales. He was focused on toy and film IP being in Marvel comics. Thus the first line wide crossover, Secret Wars, was actually about selling toys. This is the origin of comic books, as is war propaganda. But, these creative types from Claremont to Miller to Sienkiewicz to Simonson had other plans. So when Louise and Nocenti get Shooter wanting a crossover, Claremont is resistant and tries to keep it in house, not line wide. But that doesn’t mean he wants to avoid a Thor or Daredevil. Nah, he loves to collaborate with those folks. His friends.
We are a ways off from my understanding this as a reader and a decade and a half off from me spending any time with Walt and Louise. I also am not paying the prices I have seen for Thor No. 337, the debut of Walt on the title, and more importantly to me, the debut of Beta Ray Bill. But I definitely have reason to at least introduce him into the story, written and drawn by Walt. So here we are, all the reason in the world. Thor, Bill, and Walt No. 350, Fall of 1984.
Walt’s Star Wars run was hinting at this refinement of style. One that influences Art Adams, who influences Rob Liefeld. One that influences Todd McFarlane which influences a generation. But on Thor you are getting Walt mainlined into your eye holes.
Energy, graphics style, angular, rough and medium sized line weight, loose gesture and applications, immediacy, chaos fills the page. It’s a lot!
Beta Ray Bill, Sif, Odin to start and tiny lil’ Thor and Warriors three…what is happening here!?!
Wait!?! Sif isn’t holding hands with or being smothered by Hildegarde. Thor is on background. He really is the third wheel in these Asgardian romances. I anoint thee, BillSif.
They have assembled not just Asgard’s finest, but a full army assembled and in formation. All gods.
Even some of Thor’s classic arches have joined.
It is all for Surtur from where the oldest of all who live, live?! But who is the enemy of all who cherish living.
Well I like living. So yup. Let’s do this.
They head to Midgard to battle.
Soooo Bill definitely has a thing for Sif…I mean I would ship that. But he is asking her to take a step back, and Thor is like BRO…she is a frontline defender, YO.
Sif, give Bill some grace…maybe the feeling is mutual.
In the gutter HildeBillSif is shipped.
In a cute tiny panel (also kinda hot), she places her hand on Bill’s shoulder and says plainly, “I would rather go to war.” HELLA!!!
And sooo….
I don’t think I have ever seen so many on the Bifrost. Frigga takes the children to safety, and Odin stays behind. At least one kid is annoyed at not being able to fight.
New Yorkers are noticing something, ‘Russians?’
Surtur’s got his own normal sized army, and he is massive, on fire, with a sword…very Japanese influence. The avengers have assembled, as well, lead by our Captain Marvel (Monica Rambeau), Wanda, Starfox (Eros), and Wasp (borderline hilarious…you think we would learn by now not to laugh at Janet van Dyne).
Karnila who is legit hot and has a giant horned crown that must make Loki envious, is not sending anyone to aid Asgard. And she is speaking with Odin’s messenger, Balder…and she apparently wants him. If he doesn’t obey she will destroy a distracted Asgard.
Back in NYC, Central Park, Enchantress pops in on assimilated Lorelei, and calls on her to help, only she is like, ‘nah, you just want Thor for yourself.’ I guess she and Thor are dating…and so she doesn’t want to be by his side in battle?!
Oh she is using magic to keep him smitten.
By Thor’s side are BillSif our new favorite couple.
A storm brews, smoke rises out of NYC, but then a rainbow. And Thor finds he giant Surtur. Who desolves before Thor gets his glory. Oh…I guess the storm created by Thor caused the bifrost to emerge and now Surtur to have access to Asgard. Well, we will get to see Thor and Bill again, so perhaps we will be entertained with more tales of this day over some ale. 🍺
Next: Mutants
