MC2 Untold: Valkyrie

 

Today I’m going to try something a little different and talk about something we didn’t see in the MC2. This will be the first in an occasional series looking at some of the Untold Tales of the MC2: costumes, concepts, story ideas and characters that never saw the printed page. For our inaugural instalment, let’s look at Valkyrie.  

 

As per Thunderstrike and A-Next co-creator, artist extraordinaire and all-around nice guy Ron Frenz’s own facebook:

When The Time Is Right!

Below left is an incomplete sketch of a character I intended to introduce in the MC2 title A-NEXT had the book continued.

Obviously, an Asgardian Valkyrie, she would have been charged by Thor, now the ruler of Asgard to train and watch over the MC2 version of Kevin Masterson as Thunderstrike.

As I said, the title was dis-continued and the idea stored away.

Next to that sketch is an early conceptual drawing of Gruenhilda, an Asgardian Valkyrie charged by the Lady Sif to train and watch over the 616 version of Kevin Masterson as Thunderstrike in the 2011 THUNDERSTRIKE mini-series.

Weird.

So there you have it, the MC2’s Kevin Masterson aka Thunderstrike could have had a similar arc with an Asgardian Valkyrie mentor and trainer. Seeing this story concept and character adapted to the Main Marvel Universe does at least mean the idea eventually saw print in some form. For anyone wondering, the name Gruenhilda is a nod to dearly missed writer and protector of Marvel Comics continuity Mark Gruenwald.



An interesting foil to the story regarding the published appearance of Gruenhilda, also directly from Mr Frenz’s facebook:



That Was Weird!

Back in 1994 in an issue of THUNDERSTRIKE I had The Lady Sif wearing a variant of a Kirby design which showed a bit more skin.

(Sue me, it was the '90s!)

Nobody blinked.

In the 2010 THUNDERSTRIKE mini-series we introduced an Asgardian Valkyrie character and I thought it would be consistent (and cool!) to repeat elements of the same design to demonstrate their common origins.

Skin included.

The original colors for the character Gruenhilda were shown in the solicitation for the issue.

But at the eleventh hour Editorial blinked big time and re-colored the cover and eliminated the exposed epidermis.

Anyway,1994 nobody blinked.

2010, blink!

That was weird!

Anyway, there you have it, we nearly had a Gruenhilda -or similarly designed- Asgardian Valkyrie character in the MC2, but she did eventually see the light of day thanks to the 2011 Thunderstrike mini-series set in the Main Marvel Universe.

Until I stop stalking Ron Frenz’s facebook for content, I remain

 

frogoat

Thunderstrike's Costumes

 

 

 

My past MC2 Costumes posts have looked at every variant costume (or robotic shell) worn by Bluestreak, J2, Freebooter, Mainframe and American Dream and even a few I missed until recently. While I haven’t completed a full-blown new entry in this occasional series for a long while, that changes today because we are looking at the costumes of Kevin Masterson aka Thunderstrike.

 

Kevin’s most iconic costume made it’s first appearance in What If #105 during a cameo appearance from the next generation of Avengers, before they were fleshed out at all.

 

Notably, both Kevin’s adult civilian design and at least the beginnings of his unique Thunderstrike costume were developed at least as early as late 1995 by artist, co-creator and the most dedicated fanboy ever, Ron Frenz. Courtesy of Mr Frenz’ Facebook:

 

A Little Slice Of Kevin!

Design sketches for young Kevin Masterson.

One from the original THUNDERSTRIKE series and two from the development of the A-NEXT series years later.

 

As usual, we’ll be doing things from an in-universe chronological order. While Kevin’s first appearance as Thunderstrike is What If #105, his first chronological appearance is a flashback seen in A-Next #1. With all that said I’d first like to point out that Kevin’s civilian attire in A-Next #1 shares a colour scheme with his super hero costume seen shortly afterwards in the same issue which acts as an origin story for the second generation Thunderstrike. It’s a nice touch. Here’s both for comparison:

 

 

Now, I know these are really just colouring mistakes but I’ve kind of made it my business to point out as many as I can find in previous entries. Besides, it bolsters the number of variations! One common colouring mistake is the bands around Thunderstrike’s wrists, which are sometimes brown (I believe the intended colour), sometimes red like the rest of the arm covering and sometimes one arm band is brown and one arm is red (A-Next #1, #2, #3 etc).

 

Another fun variation, which sometimes comes with different wrist band colours is the Thunderstrike costume with the red ‘T’ logo design on Kevin’s chest (A-Next #3, A-Next #6, J2 #5-#6, American Dream mini-series). I suppose you could No-Prize these minor changes and modifications as the artistic Mr Kevin Masterson tinkering and playing with his costume. I mean, it is magical in nature and appears as he wills it!

 

This next one is one I think is possibly the most oft-miscoloured, at least after the wrist bands. Colourists seem to struggle to keep Kevin’s axillary area exposed, instead colour the whole of the chest and underarm area the same brown as his costume when it should be his flesh tone. As far as I can tell, this first occurred briefly in A-Next #4 in just one panel but we see it many times afterwards.

 

Next up is probably my personal favourite one. After electing to stay behind on an alternate world, Kevin’s appearances naturally trailed off for some time but he still managed to appear in a black/grey version of his standard costume in a photo seen with fellow Avenger Stinger (Wild Thing #4). Interestingly enough, this basic colour scheme returns in the infamously miscoloured Spider-Girl #81 which has proven a great source for variant Avenger costume colours.

 

Just a few issues later in Spider-Girl #83, we get another Thunderstrike tweak, this time with a costume absent the arm guards. Again, another colouring mistake and this one is pretty egregious. Keeping with this theme, we also catch a glimpse of Thunderstrike red-handed in Spider-Girl #87!

 

Over on the cover of Last Hero Standing #1, Mark Bagley depicts Kevin’s Thunderstrike costume’s ‘T logo’ without encircling it. A minor detail perhaps, but it certainly changes the overall look.

 

In the Avengers Next mini-series, Kevin spends most of his time without his powers and is thus depicted in civilian attire. However, Kevin does go into battle wielding the Grim Reaper’s Scythe in Avengers Next #5 before his ability to transform into Thunderstrike is restored.

 

I may have missed out on a costume, if so please let me know! Otherwise, let me know what variant costume you’d like to see the MC2’s Thunderstrike don once more.

 

Until I find more time amid burping a newborn to dedicate to pawing through old comics for colouring mistakes, I remain

 

frogoat

 

 

 

 

 

Thor in the MC2

With all the build up for Avengers: Endgame, I've elected to cover the MC2 incarnations of the films main cast. I figured the best place to start would be with the god himself, Thor.

The first of the original Avengers to appear in the MC2, Thor is revealed to be the Lord of Asgard in A-Next #1. When Loki attempts to steal the enchanted mace 'Thunderstrike' from Kevin Masterson, he transports the assembled heroes opposing him to the Isle of Silence on Asgard. However, Kevin ends up transformed into the heroic Thunderstrike when he leaps into Loki's magicks and saves the other heroes by summoning Thor to their aid with a huge signal in the sky.

Thor greets the assembled heroes with warmth, despite at first mistaking Kevin for his deceased father, Eric Masterson, the original Thunderstrike. After a celebration, Thor sends the heroes back to Earth using Mjolnir, leaving them with the parting words 'The planet spins! The page turns! And the world still needs heroes. May each and all prove worth of the privilege before you!'.

We don't see Thor for quite sometime until Last Hero Standing #4 when, as a result of Loki's scheme to end the Age of Heroes, Thor encounters his former teammate Captain America alongside other heroes stranded on Asgard. With the Hulk on a rampage thanks Loki's spell, Thor and Captain America discuss the latter's declining abilities and Cap reveals he intends to retire after this final mission (Last Hero Standing #5).

Thor transports the group of heroes back to Earth to confront the Hulk and find Loki. When Spider-Girl reveals Loki, Captain America confronts him as Thor battles the Hulk. Loki's spell is almost sealed by the spilling of fatal blood when Thor nearly kills Hulk. But thanks to Captain America breaking Loki's spell by destroying his dark crystal at the cost of his own life, the day is saved.

Thor banishes Loki to Limbo and the Hulk voluntarily exiles himself alongside the god of mischief to atone for the destruction he has caused. As Captain America lays dying Thor intervenes, combining Asgardian life force with the spirit and power of Cap's country channeled through Mjolnir to transform the heroes soul into a new star that will inspire generations to come.

In the sequel series Last Planet Standing, all of Asgard is threatened when Galactus launches an attack on the Realm Eternal, seeking the Odinsword in his quest to satiate his endless hunger. Despite Thor leading all of Asgard Assembled against Galactus and his Herald Dominas, Asgard is destroyed and Thor is taken captive by the world eater as survivors of the attack flee (Last Planet Standing #2).

Later, with Galactus' plan nearing it's completion, his Worldship containing energy from a thousand worlds is destroyed when energy from Captain America's Star overloads the containers, freeing Thor.  Thor arrives on Earth in time to witness Galactus and the Silver Surfer merge into a new being and reverse the destruction caused by Galactus.

While this is Thor's last present day on-panel appearance we do meet his daughter Thena on a mission for him in Avengers Next #2. We also learn that both Thor and his father Odin are attempting to revive Asgard using the Odin Power in Avengers Next #3 as well as glimpse a younger Thor in a flashback in this same issue.

And that's it for Thor in the MC2 at present. A more mature Thor, the loss of Asgard and the introduction of Thena certainly lend themselves to future stories, which I sincerely hope we get to see someday.

Until I learn to how to speak like the Asgardians, I remain


frogoat