Showing posts with label Savage Six. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Savage Six. Show all posts

Tuesday, 6 August 2024

Spider-Symmetry: The Sinister and Savage Six

 

Today’s post is part of a very occasional series where I like to highlight the visual or narrative symmetry between the Spider-Man and Spider-Girl comics. For this entry, I wanted to demonstrate a great example, this time from MC2 mainstay and Spider-Girl artist extraordinaire Pat Olliffe.

 


Presented for your consideration, Spider-Girl #25, the double-sized anniversary issue which is probably best known for parallelling and referencing the Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1, the first appearance of the villainous team, the Sinister Six. The references include the introduction of a new generation of six (or is it seven?!) super villains who come together as the Savage Six, the Spidey of the day losing their powers, the kidnapping of two supporting characters and the use of gorgeous splash pages to punctuate each battle. Certainly, credit must go to both writer Tom Defalco and artist Pat Olliffe for this loving tribute to Stan Lee and Steve Ditko’s original work.

 





What’s less a direct reference or parallel to the first Sinister Six story is the cover to Spider-Girl #25, which doesn’t homage Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1. Instead, it references the next Sinister Six story. The Return of the Sinister Six is, appropriately, a six-issue story arc spanning from Amazing Spider-Man #334 to Amazing Spider-Man #339. By now, it’s obvious that the cover of Spider-Girl #25 is an homage to Amazing Spider-Man #337.

 



There’s a lot more to breakdown when it comes to this issue, and it’s obviously just a single example of the literally hundreds of references, homages and continuations present throughout the MC2. But that’s it from me for today!

 

Until I lose my powers either before or after fighting a team of six villains whom I’ve faced separately in the past, I remain

 

frogoat

Friday, 22 December 2017

The Logan Family Tree


This one was an eye opener. I now understand why X-Men fans tear their hair out. Ladies and gentlemen, I present the combined kin of Natchios and Logan...with a few asterisks.

Wolverine has presented me with a conundrum. For the purposes of these family trees, I accept that MC2 characters share their published history (up to a point) with their 616/Main Marvel Universe counterparts. I make exceptions for any retcons implemented after the point the MC2 diverges from the 616 and in cases where it's explicitly or implicitly different (Aunt May really died) or when a writer later introduces a previously unheard of relative (the Lang family and likely the Pym family) who is never mentioned, seen or heard of in the MC2. With the last exception, I would add them to the family tree in later updates should they be mentioned in MC2 material at any point.

Wolverine presents a new case of a previously unresolved plot point (his true name and origin) being resolved post-MC2 but due to it being a long standing pre-MC2 mystery and it not at face value contradicting elements of the MC2. So, information revealed in the Origin mini-series can be accepted as MC2 canon also. I personally feel I need only list James Howlett as his real name and leave out his family members, at least for now. If later MC2 works utilize these story elements, I'll add them.

As for post-Origin relatives of Wolverine, including potential offspring such as X-23 and Daken and his half-dozen other kids from one storyline who die, I have decided that these are all later retcons not directly affiliated with his MC2 counterpart. Further, the Wolverine: Origins ongoing series apparently revealed that several significant characters throughout Wolverine's past were related to him, specifically by his mother's own extended family. Character's such as the Professor involved with the Weapon X program (Professor Andre Thorton) were retroactively made Wolverine's long lost relatives-the Hudson's- despite some of these characters having established names. I will not be referring to these characters in the family as they were later retconned relatives, not pre-established.


With all of that out of the way, let's start in earnest. Logan aka the mutant known as Wolverine first appeared in the final panel of The Incredible Hulk #180 with his first full appearance the following issue in The Incredible Hulk #181.  For decades, Logan's true name and origin was a mystery. It wasn't until the mini series Origin that we got the answers that had been long teased. We learn that the man we know as Logan was born 'James Howlett' as a result of an affair between Elizabeth Howlett and Thomas Logan, the grounds-keeper on the Howlett's estate. Thomas Logan had another son, 'Dog' Logan, making him James' half-brother. As stated above, I have decided to leave them off this MC2-centric family tree for now.


During an adventure in the Savage Land, seen in Wolverine: The Jungle Adventure, Logan find's spends a period of time with the leader of Tribe of Fire, a woman named Gahck. At the conclusion of the story, she is seen holding an infant. Logan's status as the child's father and the child's name (Erista) were only implied, at least until being confirmed in The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: X-Men 2004.



Logan also adopted a young girl named Amiko Kobayashi following her mother's death during a giant monster attack in Tokyo in Uncanny X-Men #181. Amiko was eventually left in the care of a woman named Yukio, which led to an encounter with the assassin Elektra, which is as good a transition as any to the other half of this family tree.


Elektra Natchios is another character with a somewhat convoluted family history. First appearing in Daredevil #168, Elektra was reportedly intended as a one-off character, but proved popular enough to make regular appearances in the series until her first death in Daredevil #181. Elektra returned from the dead soon after and has gone onto be a consistent fan favourite character.

Elektra's first appearance in Daredevil #168 is also her father's first appearance and death, as he is shot to during a terrorist hostage situation. It's not until the Elektra Assassin mini that we learn his name is Hugo Natchios. Through the story, Elektra attempts to recall her past by revisiting memory fragments, some of which seem to be partially imagined, such as her recollection of her own birth during her mother Christina's assassination as depicted in Elektra Assassin #1.




Christina Natchios proves to be an interesting case of multiple characters providing differing accounts of her personality, character and even the events surrounding her death. A later mini-series called Elektra: Root of Evil features Hugo telling a young Elektra his version of the events of Christina's death and Elektra's birth. According to Hugo, his wife openly had affairs, embarrassing the newly appointed ambassador. When Christina became pregnant, Hugo drunkenly shared his shame with his son Orestez (more on him later) who -enraged- organised the assassination which injured his father and killed his mother who gave birth to Elektra as she died (Elektra: Root of Evil #2). When Hugo learned Elektra was in-fact his daughter by blood, he threw himself into raising her.




Alternatively, as recounted in Elektra (vol. 1) #18, we are given an entirely different account of Christina by a man named Stavros who knew the Natchios family well. He tells an adult Elektra that as a teenager Christina used to work for a resistance cell led by Hugo, showing cold determination and kindness. While eight months pregnant Christina was shot during a hostage situation, but managed to disarm the shooter and prevented him from being killed by the angry crowd before she dying as Elektra was born. While it's perhaps possible that parts of Stavros' story could be true (how Hugo and Christina met) it's impossible to reconcile the two different series of events leading to Christina's death. As such, I'm inclined to go with the earlier telling of events given they connect to much of Elektra's family history, including Orestez, who goes completed unmentioned in this new telling.






Orestez Natchios is the older brother of Elektra, and son to Hugo and Christina who first appeared in flashbacks in Elektra: Root of Evil #2. As mentioned above, a drunken and disgraced Hugo tells Orestez of his mother's infidelity and the likelihood of her current pregnancy being to another man. Orestez hires mercenaries to kill his mother as punishment while she vacationed, unaware his father had joined her. When Orestez learns his beloved father was injured during the attack, he left the family out of guilt. Years later, Orestez saved his young sister Elektra from an attack and returned her home to their father, telling him she needed to learn to protect herself, choosing to remain in his self-imposed exile.




Finally, we arrive at the MC2 section of this write-up! Rina Logan aka Wild Thing, daughter to Logan and Elektra first appeared in J2 #5. Seeking out the titular character for information about his father the previous Juggernaut, Rina battled J2 until Wolverine put a stop to the fight. Though young, Rina is frequently depicted as adventuring far and wide, even sending her parents letters from her travels. At some point in her past, Rina was brutally attacked and left to die on a mountain top by her half-brother, Hudson.








The animalistic Hudson aka Sabreclaw first appeared in J2 #8, working alongside the villainous Enthralla against the combined efforts of J2, Magneta and his half-sister Wild Thing. Following his initial appearance, Sabreclaw would join various teams, including The Revengers and The Savage Six before finally seeing the light and joining The Avengers. There is no information on the identity of Sabreclaw's mother.

It's not immediately clear whether Hudson is Sabreclaw's first or last name, nor if he shares the surname 'Logan' with his half-sister. The only name we are given in-story is simply 'Hudson' in his first appearance so that leaves secondary sources, so let's explore those. The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Alternate Universes 2005 identifies Sabreclaw as 'Hudson Logan', while the following year's All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z #12 Wild Thing profile back-tracks to 'Hudson (surname unrevealed)'. The All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z Update #3 (2007) features a Sabreclaw profile entry in which his real name is given as 'Hudson (full name unrevealed)', suggesting the name could be either his given name or surname whereas The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z Vol. 7 refers to him as Hudson Logan. However, the Wild Thing profile published in The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z Vol. 13 (2010) reverts to 'Hudson (surname unrevealed)'. Personally, I'd assume Hudson is Sabreclaw's first name, based on the context of it's usage in J2 #8 and it's debatable whether Logan is his surname.

This entry took a lot of time and effort to research and I am still uncertain if I've done it justice. Hopefully my rationale regarding the use of family members and names discussed at the top makes sense and holds up to your scrutiny. I've given this a lot of thought.

Until I take up a nice relaxing hobby like bee-keeping, I remain

frogoat


Tuesday, 16 September 2014

Dragon King: Custodial Engineer



After listening to the Mayday Mondays podcast, I've decided to make another post, this time about the huggable and loveable Dragon King, one of Spider-Girl's rogues gallery.

 History 

 

Spider-Girl #4

 

Carlton T. Hackmutter was just a lowly janitor 'Custodial Engineer' who'd been working for decades at Midtown High School . A bitter and curmudgeonly old man who's only passion in life seemed to be collecting and maintaining his large assortment of dragon memorabilia, at least some of which Carlton kept in the basement beneath the school. At some point Hackmutter acquired a Dragon Medallion originating from Ancient China. Carlton was sold this particular Medallion by a deal who said it possessed mystical properties, though Carlton didn't believe such stories. Unhappy and frustrated with his job, Mr Hackmutter would have quit years earlier, if not for his expensive hobby.

While cleaning up some broken glass, Carlton cuts his hand and rushes to the basement to find himself a bandage, angry at the students, the teachers and his place in the world. When some of his blood spills onto the Dragon Medallion he is transformed into the huge Dragon King and decides to use his new found power to terrorize the students and faculty of Midtown High. His rampage does not last very long due to Spider-Girl threatening his dragon collection causing the Dragon King to lunge at her, hitting the electrical main and knocking himself out. He is taken away by the authorities.



Spider-Girl #25


Apparently escaping prison, the Dragon King is recruited into Funny Face's team: The Savage Six.While Face claims the group all want revenge, Hackmutter makes it clear he is only in it for the money. Battling Spider-Girl again, the Dragon King is swiftly defeated when Spider-Girl drops a five-ton boxcar on top of him.

Spider-Girl #80


The last time we see the Dragon King, we find him hiding out in the old basement beneath Midtown High School. Seeking his missing Dragon Medallion to return him to his human form again, Hackmutter has taken to breaking into antique stores in search of it, briefly battling Spider-Girl on one such occasion.

 Unbeknownst to Carlton, a student who had befriended him named Kevin Hartman had possession of the medallion. Having grown tired of being trapped in his monstrous Dragon King body, Hackmutter disliked being called by his villainous name and lamented the loss of his former life. When Mayday (in her civilian identity) and Davida stumble upon Dragon King in the basement, she revealed Kevin had the medallion and was manipulating him for his own purposes. Taking the medallion back, Carlton was transformed back into his original human form before he and Kevin were escorted away by police.




Thoughts

I really like the character of Dragon King. I genuinely think he has a place in Spider-Girl's rogues gallery. Dragon King is visually interesting and intimidating with the strength to back it up. Carlton as a person is also appealing to me. I mean, the guy is a cranky, bitter and nasty old man when we first meet him. I love his random and pointless rampage through Midtown High simply because the kids annoy him and the teachers aren't much better. He's angry and hates his position in life but by the time we see him in Spider-Girl #80 he's grown weary and disheartened at the thought of being stuck in the form of the mythological Dragon King. See, he's even got a character arc!

 Plus the grumpy Mr Hackmutter loves his dragon collection, something any comic fan can relate to on some level. Speaking of his dragon memorabilia, why is it still down in the basement months later when he returns to the school to hide? Unless his collection was split up and sold, or confiscated and what we are seeing in the basement is what he's been taking from his antique shop heists? And how does that four-ton bundle of fun fly?!





I've had this idea in my head for years that a mastermind-type villain would blackmail/coerce/manipulate or otherwise force Carlton T Hackmutter into his Dragon King form once more, giving us an opportunity to see more of Carlton's bitterness and resentment and perhaps even sympathize with him as he seeks his retribution. Then, maybe the mastermind takes on the mantel of the Dragon King, giving us a new character to work with. It's just an idea, but I'd love to see it someday.

One final note, for anyone who cares about the silly MC2 dating non-controversy; In Spider-Girl #4 you can see a poster on the wall amongst Carlton's collection that clearly reads 'Dragonfest 2006'. Spider-Girl #4 was published in late 1998 with a January 1999 cover date. Even back then, Pat Olliffe (or possibly Al Williamson) were making in-jokes. I love it.

I hope we see the Dragon King again someday

Until the Dragon King hides out in the circus, juggling small puppies and singing 'Kids in America' I remain,

frogoat


Another MC2 Villain Blog:

Spyral





Wednesday, 16 April 2014

Quick Facts: MC2 Edition No. 4

This factoid will be the fast and furious fourth in the series of facts.

Did you know that the MC2 was the originator of both the Revengers (A-Next #12) and Savage Six (Spider-Girl #25) teams. A Revengers team led by Wonder Man would later be used in the regular Marvel Universe in  New Avengers Annual vol.2 #1. The Savage Six name would also be used in the MU by the Crime Master's team of villains starting with Venom vol. 2 #17.

The MC2 Revengers.
Until Tom Defalco gets the recognition he deserves, I remain

frogoat

Quick Facts: MC2 Edition No. 1
Quick Facts: MC2 Edition No. 2
Quick Facts: MC2 Edition No. 3