The Lu Family Tree

For this MC2 Family Tree, we'll be coving May 'Mayday' Parker's former rival on the basketball court, Nancy 'Lucky' Lu and her family.

Nancy Meeko Lu first appears in Spider-Girl #23 as Central High's star basketball player. Demonstrating why she had earned the nickname 'Lucky' with her uncanny fortune on the court, May became suspicious (and perhaps a little jealous) when she and the rest of Midtown's team were beaten.

As Spider-Girl, May followed Nancy home, hoping to uncover something sinister, only to discover Nancy and her family appeared to be the very definition of an all-American family, complete with annoying brother and adorable sister. Eventually, Spider-Girl observes Nancy using her powers to prevent a child from being hit by a car. Confronted, Nancy admits she's a mutant with low-level telekinetic abilities and that she has no interest in being a super hero. We also learn that Nancy was approached by the X-People but turned them down as she wishes to lead a normal life and become a doctor.

Spider-Girl's parting words about not using her powers for anything foolish causes Nancy to quit her basketball team. This news has the unintended consequence of leaving May feeling guilty and contemplating the unfair advantage her naturally super-human power's may give her when competing.

But that's not the last we'd see of Nancy Lu, oh no! After spotting Jack Jameson with Nancy Lu in Spider-Girl #29 May learns that Nancy may be transferring to Midtown High's school district as a result of Mr. Lu changing jobs.

 In Spider-Girl #30 May runs into Nancy with JJ at the Daily Bugle and later Coach Thompson asks Davida and May to convince Nancy to join Midtown's basketball team. Again in Spider-Girl #31, we see JJ and Nancy out together but it's seems Nancy doesn't start at Midtown High until Spider-Girl #32 when we see her and JJ heading to lunch. Nancy makes friends with Davida and May even enjoys a one-on-one game of basketball with her in Spider-Girl #33. May realizes she genuinely likes Nancy despite her previous misgivings. The three girls discuss shoes in Spider-Girl #34 and Nancy joins May's friends for an outing in Spider-Girl #35. Everything is going very well.  So naturally, it won't last.

Nancy learns of Coach Thompson's plan to use May and Davida to recruit her to the school team. When May attempts to explain things to Nancy lashes out with her powers, knocking May into a locker and storming off.

After a failed attempt and a heated encounter with JJ, Nancy apologizes to May in Spider-Girl #43 and we don't see her again for a while.

Spider-Girl #61 is the beginning of a major turning point when Coach Thompson takes Davida off the basketball team's starting line-up in favour of Nancy Lu.

Things only get worse from here on out. During an altercation with Davida in Spider-Girl #64, Nancy instinctively uses her powers to defend herself, exposing herself as a mutant to the school.

Things reach a head in Spider-Girl #67 when Nancy's locker is vandalised and graffitied with anti-mutant messages. At home, Nancy's parents argue over their daughters situation and Nancy's siblings are ostracised at school. Later while attempting to get some air, Nancy is accosted by several hooded figures.

The group attacking Nancy Lu are revealed to be fellow students from Midtown High. When The Buzz (aka JJ) and Spider-Girl intervene, Nancy reveals she's more afraid of hurting others due to a lack of control of her abilities than being hurt herself. Afterwards, Nancy makes the decision to go with the X-People to better master her powers.

And for a while, it seemed like we would never see Ms Lu again. That is until she reappeared in Spider-Girl #92 in a very different role, that of the mutant hero in training: Push. May briefly runs into Nancy Lu before the two both run off to switch into their hero attire in order to stop a imposter-Magneto.

I love how Nancy's X-People costume resembles the original X-Men's first costumes as a nod to her status as a novice hero. Unfortunately Nancy has only appeared in one further story to-date. In a plot-line that references Nancy's own outing as a mutant, student Sara Hingle's story takes a turn for the worse when she ends up recruited and manipulated by Magneta and her Sisterhood of Mutants (Amazing Spider-Girl #22-24).

Unfortunately that's the last we see of Nancy Lu to date. Another nice touch with Nancy's costume now more in keeping with the rest of X-People. From one-off rival to supporting character to full-fledged super heroine, Nancy is a wonderful example of how the MC2 takes small roles and makes them into something truly inspiring. Nancy never stops striving to be a good person and still aims to be a doctor regardless of how others wish to pigeon-hole her into a single category.

A few little tidbits before I wrap this up. Nancy's middle name -Meeko- is given in Spider-Girl #67. Push doesn't appear in Last Planet Standing, which came out within months of her super heroic debut in Spider-Girl #92. If you look closely in Spider-Girl #23, you'll notice Nancy has a cat. I wonder if they accompanied her to the X-Mansion?

I think the idea of the Lu family as 'The All-American Family' is a nice statement in and of itself, while also reflecting aspects of May's own home life. Nancy could have very easily been written as a one-dimensional rival character instead of the nuanced individual we saw develop over time. For that, I'm grateful.

Until I figure out a blogging schedule that includes sleep, I remain

frogoat

Please Support Mayday!

While it's been listed on Amazon for a few months now, the recent Marvel Solicitations for July have confirmed that the original Spider-Girl series will be collected in large trade paperbacks starting with Spider-Girl: The Complete Collection Vol. 1. Writer and co-creator Tom Defalco has asked fans to support this first volume via pre-ordering to help insure we get a second volume.

The Amazon listing can be found here:

https://www.amazon.com/Spider-Girl-Complete-Collection-Vol-1/dp/1302912488/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1523981147&sr=8-3&keywords=spider-girl+the+complete+collection+vol.+1

Presumably any pre-order will help so if you can spare it, please consider placing an order now.

Until I stop shouting Make Mine Mayday! I remain

frogoat

Got Milk?

Recently I've been thinking about well-established artists in the comics industry who's take on the MC2 characters we've yet to see. Then I remembered there are a bunch of artists outside of MC2 mainstays such as the wonderfully talented Ron Frenz, Pat Olliffe, Paul Ryan, Ron Lim or Todd Nauck who've in some way worked on my favourite fictional universe. Every so often I'll try and dedicate a short post to each artist's brief foray into the MC2 Universe.

Adam Kubert

This first example comes from a somewhat odd place. A series of nine trading cards were released as part of the 'Got Milk?' marketing campaign by America's National Fluid Milk Processor Promotion Board in 1999. They feature milk-moustachioed depictions of Captain America, The Incredible Hulk, She-Hulk, Spider-Man, Venom and Daredevil in addition to the set we are covering here. (Sources are linked here.)

Yes, that's right! We get the obvious set of three MC2 cards featuring next generation characters such as the cast of A-Next, Spider-Girl and....er....Doctor Doom?! What the heck is he doing in there? I can't post this without pointing out the obvious error of Thunderstrike aka Kevin Masterson wielding a hammer. Considering the MC2 imprint was new at the time this was released, I can forgive Adam Kubert's slip-up, especially since it's honestly such a nice piece and I really like his take on the characters, particularly Spider-Girl. Unless I'm mistaken, the colours are by Paul Mounts, who does a great job making those colours pop out at you. I wonder if there exists a version of this artwork without the slogan and milk-moustaches? 

For completeness' sake let's look at the back of the cards, shall we?

I guess that's it for now. Remember to drink your milk, kids, so you grow up big and strong! 

Until I stop trying to find these on eBay, I remain

frogoat

The Hulk's Destiny

Reading and re-reading the various MC2 comics sometimes yields small and unexpected nuggets, facts and tidbits. For example, when Doctor Strange reforms the original Defenders in A-Next #3, we learn a little about what's happened to Stephen Strange, Namor and the Incredible Hulk in the past 15 years. Doctor Strange has been stripped of his role as Sorcerer Supreme under unrevealed circumstances and replaced by the youthful Doc Magus. Prince Namor the Sub-Mariner has seen his kingdom Atlantis destroyed by Doctor Doom, whom Namor is believed to have killed soon after in a fierce battle. Meanwhile Dr Bruce Banner, better known to the world as the monstrous Hulk has settled down in the suburbs to raise his son, David. That is, of course, until Doctor Strange shows up...

After the Defenders clash with the new Avengers team, Doc Magus questions why Strange orchestrated the encounter. Despite giving his reasons and explanations for everything else, when it comes to the Hulk Doctor Strange simple says 'He has a destiny to fulfill.'

 

Nothing really comes of this statement for several years until Last Hero Standing #5 when the Hulk- after wreaking havoc while mind-controlled by Loki in the latter's attempt to bring about an end to the 'Age of Heroes'- takes out his revenge on the Asgardian god for ruining his formerly happy life. 

So, was this the Hulk's destiny: being banished to everlasting Limbo with good ol' Loki? Or perhaps this prophesized destiny has yet to be completed? Was there more to Doctor Strange's  machinations than we know? Maybe it's nothing and I'm simply overthinking things...again.

Until I find run out of things to love in the MC2, I remain

frogoat

Mayday's Diary

While re-reading through some MC2 comics, I realized I hadn't talked about a small narrative device that actually plays a small part in the plot years later. As we learn in a short back-up story from Spider-Girl Annual '99 (written by editor Bill Rosemann, instead of Tom Defalco himself) May 'Mayday' Parker keeps a diary.

In this first appearance of Mayday's Diary, it's used to recap readers on the events of the past year's-worth of published Spider-Girl stories, presented in May's own words.

Mayday's Diary is again used as a framing device when the series was relaunched with Amazing Spider-Girl #0, providing a more plot-relevant recap of the events of the previous Spider-Girl series.

Finally making the leap to a physical in-story appearance, Mayday's Diary shows up in Amazing Spider-Girl #25 when 'April Parker' uses it to catch herself up on recent events in 'her' life.

  

Probably apropos of nothing, but the diary looks different here, though there is still a flowery-theme.

Perhaps May's old dairy simply ran out of blank pages and this is a new one she started in Amazing Spider-Girl #0?



I realize this is nothing earth-shattering or exciting, but it helps ground a fictional character like Mayday in the real-world when she uses such a mundane, everyday item like a diary. A nice touch. I may be mistaken but I believe these are the only instances we see Mayday's Diary. Please do let me know if I'm wrong.

Until I get replaced by my symbiote-clone hybrid, I remain

frogoat