TIMELY COMICS IN 2009?? (Marvel's 70th Anniversary Series & Other Things)

So finally I'm going to post about the series of Timely Comics one-shots from 2009 to celebrate Marvel's 70th Anniversary through their Golden Age. I hope to note the retcons, contradictions and points of contention. As I said before, I could not find my Marvel Mystery Handbook that came out as a companion to this line but I now have it! So a few comments in response to topics brought up in the Baron's "MARVEL COMICS #1000" review and Captain Comics' "THE BOOK!":

On whether or not the original Keen Marlow version of the Mighty DESTROYER existed in the Marvel Universe as he was deemed fictional in The Invaders, Marvel has already confirmed it! In the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: The Golden Age 2004, Marlow is listed as the first Destroyer with Brian Falsworth (Union Jack II) and Roger Aubrey (Dyna-Mite) sharing the identity. Indeed they were a bit coy on which man appeared in all the Golden Age Destroyer stories.
In the Marvel Mystery Handbook, they have an entry on the THREE Xs and given their Golden Age appearances, 1X (the detective) could be the Enclave's Hamilton, 2X (the scientist) Zota and 3X (the fighter) Morlak. While Morlak was also a scientist, he could be both!
The Handbook also covers events from the Anniversary titles, The Marvels Project and The Twelve.

Next: The Torch that Was...Or Was Not!

HUMAN TORCH COMICS #1: 70th ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL (Jl'09)

by Scott Snyder and Scott Wegener

Set nine months after the Original Human Torch was activated, the Man of Fire rescues a young African-American woman in the sewers from a "Frog Creature" that escaped from the Reinstein Laboratories. The Torch is quite the celebrity here, going to nightclubs, surrounded by beautiful women that he doesn't quite understand. He is also shown living with his creator, Professor Phineus T. Horton (here referred as "Doctor") as he learns about human history in a loving environment.

While going to a new jazz club owned by Warren Worthington (The X-Men's Angel's grandfather) and sitting with a few smitten ladies, they are horrified to see his skin begin to corrode! The Frog Creature's saliva contained a flesh-eating poison so Prof. Horton must dissolve the Torch's infected epidermis and grow a new one for him, leaving the Torch stripped down to his robotic layer.

He tries to function normally but people are afraid of him now and think that he's a monstrous weapon that will destroy them. This destroys the Torch's fragile self-image until the woman he save, Elanor, visits him and gives him hope and a flower. Forced to rescue a dirigible about to crash before his new skin is ready, he is able to convince those he saves and himself about his humanity.

After getting reskinned, he takes Elanor on a Valentine date!

So Professor Erskine AKA Prof. Reinstein was experimenting with amphibians? Is that why Captain America was able to survive getting frozen?
The Torch is shown in a father/son relationship with Prof. Horton and being "raised" by him. This is a radical departure from previous stories where the Torch quickly leaves Horton, to be independent. While the Torch does encounter Horton several times, they don't have that type of bond.
Howard Stark gets namedropped!
His alias of "Jim Hammond" is now a chemical equation of Hydrogen, Ammonia, Magnesium and Oxygen, giving to him by Horton, another retcon.
His romance with Elanor is never mentioned again.
Which might be for the best as, without his outer layer, the Torch is NOT anatomically correct!
After decades of the Human Torch being portrayed as "human" as possible, the last twenty or so years have focused of his artificialness, not as a sentient android but as a machine that can be taken apart, controlled and reprogrammed.

They also reprint Human Torch Comics #2 (Fall' 40) which is the first appearance of Toro, the Flaming Kid by Carl Burgos! Toro gets a detailed backstory but no explanation as to why he can flame on! He becomes an orphan but happily joins the circus on the same day!

He's not the Torch's official partner yet but readers were asked to vote on it by sending their responses to:

Timely Comics, 330 W 42nd St, New York City

Next: A Win is a Win Or Who Was That Cap I Saw You With?

Replies

Captain Comics January 17, 2020 at 12:54pm

So, for book purposes, the last word on Keen Marlowe is OHOTMU?
Philip Portelli January 17, 2020 at 1:08pm

In the main line, I believe so. In this series, Mystic Comics 70th Anniversary Special does star the Destroyer but is vague over which one it is. Most of the later-day Invaders titles feature the Roger Aubrey version but there was the 2009 Marvel MAX, Destroyer, which followed an elderly Keene Marlowe, instead of Keen Marlow.

Captain Comics said:

So, for book purposes, the last word on Keen Marlowe is OHOTMU?
Captain Comics January 20, 2020 at 12:45pm

I vaguely remember that Old Man Keene story, Phillip, but would not have if you hadn't mentioned it. Thanks!
Philip Portelli January 21, 2020 at 4:11pm
HUMAN TORCH COMICS #1: 70th ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL (Jl'09)

by Scott Snyder and Scott Wegener

Set nine months after the Original Human Torch was activated, the Man of Fire rescues a young African-American woman in the sewers from a "Frog Creature" that escaped from the Reinstein Laboratories. The Torch is quite the celebrity here, going to nightclubs, surrounded by beautiful women that he doesn't quite understand. He is also shown living with his creator, Professor Phineus T. Horton (here referred as "Doctor") as he learns about human history in a loving environment.

While going to a new jazz club owned by Warren Worthington (The X-Men's Angel's grandfather) and sitting with a few smitten ladies, they are horrified to see his skin begin to corrode! The Frog Creature's saliva contained a flesh-eating poison so Prof. Horton must dissolve the Torch's infected epidermis and grow a new one for him, leaving the Torch stripped down to his robotic layer.

He tries to function normally but people are afraid of him now and think that he's a monstrous weapon that will destroy them. This destroys the Torch's fragile self-image until the woman he save, Elanor, visits him and gives him hope and a flower. Forced to rescue a dirigible about to crash before his new skin is ready, he is able to convince those he saves and himself about his humanity.

After getting reskinned, he takes Elanor on a Valentine date!
- So Professor Erskine AKA Prof. Reinstein was experimenting with amphibians? Is that why Captain America was able to survive getting frozen?
- The Torch is shown in a father/son relationship with Prof. Horton and being "raised" by him. This is a radical departure from previous stories where the Torch quickly leaves Horton, to be independent. While the Torch does encounter Horton several times, they don't have that type of bond.
- Howard Stark gets namedropped!
- His alias of "Jim Hammond" is now a chemical equation of Hydrogen, Ammonia, Magnesium and Oxygen, giving to him by Horton, another retcon.
- His romance with Elanor is never mentioned again.
- Which might be for the best as, without his outer layer, the Torch is NOT anatomically correct!
- After decades of the Human Torch being portrayed as "human" as possible, the last twenty or so years have focused of his artificialness, not as a sentient android but as a machine that can be taken apart, controlled and reprogrammed.
They also reprint Human Torch Comics #2 (Fall' 40) which is the first appearance of Toro, the Flaming Kid by Carl Burgos! Toro gets a detailed backstory but no explanation as to why he can flame on! He becomes an orphan but happily joins the circus on the same day!

He's not the Torch's official partner yet but readers were asked to vote on it by sending their responses to:

Timely Comics, 330 W 42nd St, New York City

Next: A Win is a Win Or Who Was That Cap I Saw You With?

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