The Fantasticar of the MC2

 

Bear with me as I try to get back into the habit of writing again after what has been an unintended hiatus. Today I thought it would be fun to look at the famous first family’s physics-defying flyer, the Fantasticar. So, let us talk about The Fantasticar in the MC2.

 

For consistency, I will follow the designations used in the FF: Fifty Fantastic Years handbook to refer to the various Fantasticars. The first Fantasticar (‘Fantasticar I’), sometimes styled ‘Fantasti-Car’ and colloquially referred to as the ‘flying bathtub,’ debuted in the pages of Fantastic Four #3. Hallmarks of future Fantasticars including Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) and the capability to separate into four separate compartments independently pilotable also debuted here.

 

The second Fantasticar or ‘Fantasticar II’ first appeared in Fantastic Four #12 where the fan reaction to the origin ‘flying bathtub’ design was directly referenced. This design would not only become the longest running but also the template for future iterations of the Fantasticar in years to come.

 

Breaking the numbering system already, the ‘Long-Range Fantasticar’ appeared in Fantastic Four #293 and was larger, more enclosed, and capable of trans-sonic speed which allowed for longer flights.

 

The last Main Marvel Universe model Fantasticar which is relevant to the MC2 does not originate in the Main Marvel Universe. In the pocket universe known as ‘Heroes Reborn’ created by Franklin Richards to save his family and the various other heroes who sacrificed themselves during the Onslaught event, the ‘reborn’ Reed Richards modified a hyper-sonic transport loaned from the ‘reborn’ Tony Stark. This Fantasticar was capable of hyper-sonic sub-orbital flight and could travel trans-globally in a matter of hours.

 

Now, the MC2’s Fantastic Five have their own Fantasticar which is first glimpsed in Spider-Girl #3. Visually similar to the Fantasticar II albeit with an appropriate five compartments capable of independent piloting. We see one section on its own in Spider-Girl #10 piloted by Franklin Richards.

 

In the pages of Fantastic Five (vol. 1) #3, we see a more modern version of what appears to be a single compartment from the Fantasticar, again piloted by Franklin Richards. We see the more classic design a few more times, with at least some compartments seen in Spider-Girl #25 and Spider-Girl #34, though one seems to double as the Big Brain 2.0’s omni-pod used for transportation in some appearance. which depending on the artist resembles a section of either the classic or modern Fantasticar.

 

Finally, we see a variety of Fantastic Five-branded vehicles in the second Fantastic Five series, including what appears to be the aforementioned earlier Fantasticar II.

 

That is all I have for today but rest assured, I think I have found yet another niche topic to explore in the future.

 

Until I stop seeing Star Trek starships in random comic panels, I remain

 

frogoat

       

Iron Man's Armory in the MC2: Model 3

 

I’m going back to the workshop for another entry in the occasional series of posts detailing the various armours of Tony Stark, focusing on those that appear in the MC2. Today’s entry is Iron Man’s Armory in the MC2: Model 3.

 

 For consistency, I’ll be using the designations for the various Iron Man armours provided by to the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe team’s most recent version of the All-New Iron Manual, updated and corrected as part of the Iron Manual trade paperback.

 

There is some debate as to when exactly Iron Man’s Model 3 armour debuted, with some tweaks to the Model 2 helmet seeing a rivet design and a smoother face plate starting in Tales of Suspense #54.

 

In the pages of Tales of Suspense #56, Iron Man first gains his hip-mounted pods which would soon become standard. Finally, in Tales of Suspense #66 the rivets disappeared from the face plate. Whichever issue you’d prefer to attribute this armour incarnation to, the Iron Manual TPB states Tales of Suspense #56 was the first appearance of the Model 3. Perhaps we can assume some of these modifications weren’t enough to constitute a whole new ‘model’ to Tony, being instead, for example, ‘Model 2 Mark II’ etc as some have proposed.

 

In the MC2, we get a very brief glimpse of the Model 3 during a flashback in the pages of Fantastic Five (vol. 1) #1 to the wedding of Reed Richards and Susan Storm from Fantastic Four Annual #3.

 

It’s possible we also see a photograph of the Model 3 armour in the pages of American Dream #2 but it’s difficult to tell from just a headshot. This nebulous identification of Iron Man Armor Models will be a continuing issue as we’ll see next time, too.

Anyway, that’s all for today folks! The next instalment in this series will prove more substantial.

Until I can positively identify every nut, bolt and transistor to determine which Model armour Iron Man is wearing in any given comic panel, I remain

 

frogoat

Magneto's Magno-Ship in the MC2

 

Here’s another fun little post about a random vehicle from the Marvel Comics which returns, in some form, within the pages of an MC2 story. Today, Magneto’s Magno-Ship!

 

With a whole Brotherhood of Evil Mutants to transport, is it any wonder Magneto introduced the Magno-Ship in X-Men (vol. 1) #5. While it was introduced in issue #5, it wasn’t named until X-Men (vol. 1) #6 while the similar Magna-Car debuted in X-Men (vol. 1) #7.

 

The Magno-Ship would make a few more appearances within the pages of Avengers #48 and #49, while the general design of the Magna-Car would go on to inspire Magneto’s strange mode of transport seen in the 1978 Fantastic Four animated series known colloquially as The New Fantastic Four.

 

In the MC2, major Magneto mega-fan and magnetic-manipulator Magneta utilized her own escape vehicle in J2 #6, potentially a version of her self-styled ‘Magnojet’ which she unveils to J2 and Wild Thing in J2 #8. I wonder if Magneta watched an in-universe Fantastic Four cartoon?

 

Until I can afford a vehicle that doesn’t require gas, I remain

 

frogoat

Spider-Symmetry: The Swinging 60's Spidey

 

For today’s post we have another entry in the occasional series where I endeavour to highlight the visual or narrative symmetry between the Spider-Man and Spider-Girl comics. For this entry of Spider-Symmetry, we are taking a look at a silver age era comic classic and a modern era classic. This instalment, we must credit the amazing penciller and Spider-Man co-creator Steve Ditko and MC2 and Spider-Girl co-creator, artist extraordinaire and friendly fella, Ron Frenz, but we have a few stops on the way…

 

First up we have the iconic cover to 1964’s Amazing Spider-Man #19 by sturdy Steve Ditko, featuring our webbed wonder, Spider-Man swinging directly toward the reader with various familiar faces surrounding him in a stylized web. Seriously, this guy was talented.

 

It would be remiss of me not to mention the amusing Spider-Man cameo from the pages of Fantastic Four Annual #3 released in 1965. I’ll let it speak for itself.

 

For the generations of Spidey fans who know the 1967 Spider-Man cartoon will no doubt recognize this pose, as it (along with many other poses) was ‘recycled’ for various episodes’ swinging segments.

 

Now, here’s the cover to Amazing Spider-Man #68 by jazzy John Romita Senior, coincidentally released in 1968, which features a similarly swinging Spider-Man albeit rendered very much in the style of Mr. Romita.

 

 

One more time, we have the original Steve Ditko pose brought back and referenced in the pages of Amazing Spider-Man #261 by artist and major Marvel fanboy Ron Frenz.

Coming full circle, the cover to Spider-Girl #42 pencilled by Ron Frenz and released in 2002 demonstrates a combination of both Mr. Ditko and Mr. Romita’s cover poses and art styles, no doubt influenced or informed by Mr Frenz’s own affection for the 60’s Spider-Man animation.

 

Once again, it’s wonderful reverence and references like this that really make the MC2 feel familiar and inclusive of the whole history of the Spidey mythos.

 

Until I make a post about the 70’s series, I remain

 

frogoat