I'm thinking of reading a few Adam Strange comics from over the years, but I'd like to know what was the best representative story in which he appeared in the 70s?
I know he didn't star in his own stories in the 70s, but perhaps a JLA/JSA crossover, or a Brave and The Bold?
Most importantly, it'd have to be a story that I could reasonably get my hands on, so one that is available in reprint would be good.
Has Adam Strange's first appearance in Mystery in Space #53 - 'Menace of the Robot Raiders!' been reprinted anywhere? What about Mystery in Space #82 "World War on Earth and Rann!" as well?
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I realize they’ve never shared census info with us, but how in the world could Alanna gather up everybody on Rann?
I had originally typed "all of the people on Rann" then removed the final two words. You're right about the census data; it sometimes appears as if Rann is very sparsely populated. We have seen other citues, but perhaps Ranagar is the planet's most densely-populated city where the majority of the people are located. Considering the generally passive nature of the Rannians (their "hero" is from another planet), it would make sense that they would band together.
It wasn’t just Mr Fox. Back then everyone in comics was a girl unless they were very old.
That's why I said "somewhat" sexist. "Sexist" by today's standards, but back then it wouldn't have stood out.
When I was in basic training in Kentucky, the drill sergeants (cavalrymen) called us all “boy.”
When I was in high school, my gym coach used to call us "girls." I wonder what term gym teachers use today, in this world of non-binary students and transgender athletes?
MYSTERY IN SPACE #79 - "The Metal Conqueror of Rann!"
Zeta Beam: Undisclosed the first time; "a South Sea island shoreline" the second.
Science: "A mineral is any inorganic substance. It may exist in solid, gaseous or liquid state." Also, "coral is the skeleton of marine polyps on Earth. Once--they were alive!"
Before Adam arrives, Alanna covers a pool of quicksand with some planks of wood because that's where he is supposed to appear. As soon as he does, she mysteriously vanishes. Seeking a possible explanation from her father, Sardath instead reveals that Alanna had prepared a surprise for him, and the crowd outside is getting antsy. Deciding to go ahead with the ceremony, anyway, Alanna's surprise is to be a life-size statue of Adam. A passing cloud stikes the statue with lightning (see cover) and this time Adam disappears! The statue has been animated by Ikhar the Undying, who has the power to inhabit any mineral object. Adam and Alanna's petrified bodies have are now aboard Ikhar's spaceship and are "being carried eternally onward through an inter-stellar empitiness."
Suddenly, Adam's body reverts to flesh, blood and bone. He theorizes it is because of the zeta beam radiation it's filled with. Adam begins to despair that, once the beam wears off and he returns to Earth, there will be no way to find Alanna ever again. then, hitting upon an idea, Adam holds her petrified form close to him. He has bever been able to transport her back to Earth before (because she is organic), but now that she's been turned to stone he can. "If I take Alanna back to Rann with me and she is somehow restored to her normal self," he theorizes, "when the zeta beam wears off her as it wears off me--she'll be brought back to Earth again--as a living statue!"
Adam does a lot of "reasoning" and "theorizing" in these stories and, although he is usually proven to be correct, he makes quite a few, shall we say, "intuitive leaps" when forming his conclusions. For example, why would she be "somehow restored to her normal self" if returned to Rann, and, havbing been restored then being draw back to Earth, why would she return "as a living statue"? The both of them returning to Rann via zeta beam does not restore her, rendering the second question moot, but tis is one of the few times one of Adam's WAGs has turned out to be untrue. Back on Rann, Adam attacks Ikhar and melts the statue body he had been inhabiting. He transfers his consciousness fisrt to a building, then to a small volcano outside town.
Ikhar emerges from the volcano as a being of molten lava, with Adam standing over Alanna's petrified form in the foreground (which would have made a good cover, too). Adam tricks Ikhar into inhabiting his fake ray-gun, which he made from coral and painted with animal dyes. Now that Ikhar has entered something living (or that was once alive, in this case), writer's fiat demands that he lose his powers. There is a way for Ikhar to restore Alana, and he promises that he will do so if Adam frees him, but Adam knows he is lying because he can "feel Ikhar's pulsation inside [the coral gun]--like hearbeats!" Daredevil, eat your heart out. When Adam calls him on it, Ikhar admits that he was lying but is telling the truth now. Ikhar also uses the technique to dissipate the petrification beam to cancel out the effect of the zeta beam on Alanna, but he can't do that to Adam because of writer's fiat.
Adam and Alanna start to make out, and Sardath leaves the room. The only thing about this story I don't get is what was the purpose of Alanna boarding up the quicksand?
Jeff of Earth-J said:
MYSTERY IN SPACE #79
"The Metal Conqueror of Rann!"
Science: "A mineral is any inorganic substance. It may exist in solid, gaseous or liquid state." Also, "coral is the skeleton of marine polyps on Earth. Once--they were alive!"
I think that, technically, it’s made up of exoskeletons.
Seeking a possible explanation from her father, Sardath instead reveals that Alanna had prepared a surprise for him, and the crowd outside is getting antsy.
Sardath says “There’s been no sign of a menace or doom since you left Rann.” Take this out of context and it has another meaning.
Deciding to go ahead with the ceremony, anyway, Alanna's surprise is to be a life-size statue of Adam.
He’s been their hero for how long? And they finally are honoring him? And his girlfriend has to do it?
The statue has been animated by Ikhar the Undying, who has the power to inhabit any mineral object.
The animated statue may be metal, but at the bottom of page 5 it has baby blue eyes.
"If I take Alanna back to Rann with me and she is somehow restored to her normal self," he theorizes, "when the zeta beam wears off her as it wears off me--she'll be brought back to Earth again--as a living statue!"
I have no idea why he thinks this.
When Adam calls him on it, Ikhar admits that he was lying but is telling the truth now.
If he could control his pulsations he could lie and not get caught. For a change the hero doesn’t give away how he knows Ikhar is lying, so he cooperates with Adam.
Adam and Alanna start to make out, and Sardath leaves the room.
For a change, the kissing isn’t interrupted by the zeta beam. Alanna was complaining she hadn’t been kissed at all up to that point. Adam should have told her that he kissed her metal form several times. She couldn’t prove otherwise.
The only thing about this story I don't get is what was the purpose of Alanna boarding up the quicksand?
If Adam was to be beamed to that spot, wouldn’t it be good if he wasn’t sinking in quicksand?
If Adam was to be beamed to that spot, wouldn’t it be good if he wasn’t sinking in quicksand?
Well, yes, but usually these little throwaway scenes play into the "big picture" later on.
MYSTERY IN SPACE #80 - "The Deadly Shadows of Adam Strange!"
(That's a very Peter Pan-inspired cover theme.)
Zeta Beam: Adam is still on Rann from last issue as the story opens. He returns to an African Jungle, then catches the beam back to Rann three weeks later from Australia's Arunta Desert. He spends some time in "Zambebwe" first, trying to prove that Carthaginians built the city. He becomes sick and ends up telling his babbling all about Rann and Alanna to his doctor and nurse in a Nairobi hospital, but they just think he's delerious and even joke with him about it upon his release: "Give my regards to Alanna when you go to Rann!"
Science: All "comic book science" (i.e., fantasty).
The story begins exactly where #79 left off, with Sardath closing the door on Adam and Alanna as they start to make out. Right after that, though, he is kidnapped. Hearing his cries, Adam and Alanna jet off in pursuit, but soon the zeta beam wears off, returning Adam to Earth. Three weeks later when he returns, Sardath still has not been found. While searching for him among the ruins of the city of Alkamar, Adam's shadow suddenly comes to life and attacks him from behind, tossing him into a meteor pit. Alanna saves him, but justr barely. After that, his shadow plucks his ray-gun from its holster and fires at him (see cover). Taking samples from the walls where the sahdows emerges, they return to Ranagar only to find that Sardath has escaped on his own.
He was captured by Zhoran Tew's former assistant, Mortan (issue #62), but doesn't realize Mortan let him escape. Mortan has discivered a way to use pi-radiation to bring shadows under his control, and, from studying the ruins, Adams learns how to shine "a certain type of light" on pi-crystals to render himself invisible. I'm not going to spend too much time explaining this because it might as well be "magic." In any case, writer's fiat dictates that Adam can never use this method to become invisible again. As Adam and Alanna kiss, so do their shadows. This was not one of my favorites.
Stan Lee, Jack Kirby and Dick Ayers put a different spin on the "living shadow" trope.
Jeff of Earth-J said:
MYSTERY IN SPACE #80
"The Deadly Shadows of Adam Strange!"
He spends some time in "Zambebwe" first, trying to prove that Carthaginians built the city.
Heaven forbid that the people living there had anything to do with it.
While searching for him among the ruins of the city of Alkamar, Adam's shadow suddenly comes to life and attacks him from behind, tossing him into a meteor pit. Alanna saves him, but just barely.
Alanna, usually the damsel in distress, proves how gutsy she really is by jetting to the bottom of the chasm to grab the falling Adam. She was willing to die to save him.
After that, his shadow plucks his ray-gun from its holster and fires at him (see cover).
Fortunately, the shadow is a lousy shot.
Alanna, usually the damsel in distress...
Alanna is more "hands on" than any other super-hero's girlfriend of that era than comes readil;y to mind, but she does play the role of "damsel in distress" quite often.
Fortunately, the shadow is a lousy shot.
If you were to look up the term "point blank range" in the dictionary you'd find a picture of the cover to Mystery in Space #80.
Now that I think about it, I don't think the shadow has eyes.
MYSTERY IN SPACE #81 - "The Cloud Creature that Menaced Two Worlds!"
This one is described as 'a book-length novel." At 25 pages I can get behind that (although "novel" is kind of pushing it). this one is pretty convoluted, so hang on.
Zeta Beam: A "little coral islet north of Australia"; somewhere in South America.
Geography: "The Pacific Ocean area abounds in volcanoes most of which are inactive."
The story begins with the third encouner between Adam Stange and the NYC traffic cop, who, in this issue, is given a name: Officer Tom Boyle. When Adam sees Alanna across the street, on Earth, he attempts to abandon his car in the middle of traffic, but officer Boyle makes him park it legally. (Lucky there was a spot on the street nearby.) He rushes over to Alanna, picks her up, then embraces and kisses her. She passes the "kiss test" which is a clear indication that this is not some sort of trick (although it is). she explains that Sardath found a way to duplicate the effects of the ray-gun from issue #77. with "Alanna" now on Earth, there is no need for Adam to catch the zeta beam to Rann. Two days later, however, someone else catches it.
He is Alva Xar, "diktator" (that's the way they spell it) of the city-state of Zared on Rann 1000 years ago. He had been in suspended animation all these years, but was inadvertantly released by the Arvese back in #77. Since then he has been observing Adam Strange and has concocted a plan to keep him out of the way while he re-conquors the planet. First, he devises the cyberay, "the most powerful weapon ever conceived by the mind of man," but it can only be powered by the zeta beam. Next, he uses a "memorisorber" to record all of Alanna's thoughts and memories. Then, he uses just enough writer's fiat for one round trip to Earth. Once there, he "puts Alanna's exact proportions on "fita-tape" and soon finds a woman named Betti Smythe, who happens to be a perfect duplicate of Alanna, and transfers all of Alanna's memories to her via the memorisorber. He keeps insisting (to himself) that's he's "not a bit worried about Adam Strange," yet he goes to extreme lengths to get and keep him out of the picture. Methinks the gentleman doth protest too much.
Now that Adam is preoccupied with the false Alanna, Alva Xar takes his cyberay to the point at which the zeta beam will strike in order to charge it. As soon as it is transported to Rann, his own zeta beam charge wears off and he returns as well. The real Alanna is there to meet Adam, but before she quite realizes what is happening, Alva Xar fires the now-fully-charged cyberay at her and she disappears. Next, he transfers the charge from the cyberay into another cyberay so he doesn't lose it when the zeta beam wears off the first cyberay and it returns to Earth. (See? I told you this was convoluted.)
Meanwhile, back on Earth, Adam is taking "Alanna" on a whirlwind tour of Earth. She is particularly impressed by San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge because "we have no bridges at all [on Rann]" (!?). After that, they travel to India to visit the Taj Mahal, then it's back to New York to open the new Adam Strange Wing of the museum. Two days later, everyone on Earth (except Adam due to a healthy dose of writer's fiat) is turned "as hard and rigid as marble." Switching to his action togs, Adam traces the phenomenon to "the island of Tasmania, south of Australia," where the cyberay reappeared. There he encounters the cloud creatue (see cover) and fights it for five and a half pages (which accounts for this story being a "book-length novel" rather than merely "double-length"). Then he heads off to catch the next zeta beam.
It was the writer's fiat of the cloud creature which caused the world's population to become immobilized and, after its defeat, the effects begin to dissipate... slowly enough to give Adam time to fly back to New York with his amazing jet pack. Once back at the museum, he tries to give "Alanna" a big ol' kiss, but Betti has regained he memory and slaps his face. But what of the real Alanna? when she disappeared, she was actually tranported to the despolate region of Rann known as "Land of a Thousand Smokes." Encoutering a group of refugess, she learns that Alva Xar is conquering Rann city-state by city-state, first Ranagar, then Shalimar, then Balimoor, then Klysteela. Finally, outside Parmaleen, a delegation of statesmen and generals gather together to surrender to him.
Alanna rushes off to where the next zeta beam is to strike and meets Adam as he arrives. He comes clean about Betti Smythe and Alanna declares, "Oh, I--I hate her for slapping you. And yet--somehow I can't blame her." Then her thoughts turn in another direction. She is obviously about to ask if Adam and Betti had sex when she is distracted by the weapon Adam is carrying, an exact duplicate of the one Alva Lar used to conquer Rann. It's subtle, but it's pretty obvious what Alanna was about to ask. Gardner Fox slipped one past the CCA again!
They fly to confront Alva Xar on the plain outside Parmaleen. Both Adam and Alva Lar are armed with cyberays. they are pretty evenly matched, but Adam "surrenders" throwing his cyeray to the ground in hope that the cloud creature will appear. It does, and Alva Xar is frozen to the spot. Adam disarms him and uses Alva Xar's cyberay to dissipate the cloud creature. Because the cyberays are so dangerous, Adam and Alanna use each to destroy the other. Then the zeta ray wears off, returning Adam to Earth just as Alanna is about to resume her line of questioning regarding Betti Smythe. Geez, I hope I covered everything. This story was so convoluted I can't help but love it!
TOMORROW: Something different.
This story was so convoluted I can't help but love it!
This was actually one of my favorites from what I recall.
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