The 35th Co(s)mic Comic Book Broadcast: Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars: Part 2

I know this edition of the broadcast is late.  I know.  I have no excuse, none whatsoever.  So I'll just blame it all on work and the weather.  It has been HOT lately.  So hot I feel drained everyday but I promised I would have the 35th Broadcast ready to go and I intend to hold up my end of the deal.

Thanks for dropping by for the 35th Co(s)mic Comic Book Broadcast: Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars Part 2.  After I posted the 34th Broadcast, I decided to look for the house ad which advertised this Limited Series and I found it.  Here's the Marvel House Ad on Secret Wars:

There it is! The Ultimate 12 issue Limited Series.  I was like any other comic book fan at the time, I wanted this but it was an impossible task.  I never saw any issue of Secret Wars at the bookstore, not one, never.  I guess you could say that Secret Wars was the first item on my holy grail list.  The one I chased after and many many years later I would finally get the complete set.  I did however get Issue # 12 first ( As mentioned in the 34th Co(s)mic Comic Book Broadcast).

Okay, time to get the next issue of Secret Wars.  here it is:

Secret Wars # 5 featuring artwork from Bob Layton & Bob Wiacek.  Layton also provides the Interior art together with John Beatty.  In issue 5, as Galactus' home ship arrives over Battleworld, all of the warring factions scramble to devise a plan to deal with this unexpected development; The Human Torch connects with the alien healer and they make out; The Wrecking Crew picks on Molecule Man and Volcana but quickly learn that this is a very bad idea; The Enchantress tries to seduce Doom; Mr. Fantastic and Magneto each try to get the attention of Galactus and are punished by the world eater for their troubles; The heroes and villains battle again but the X-Men ride in to the rescue and drive the bad guys off; Colossus is badly injured and also comes into contact with the healer Zsaji; Dr. Doom sneaks onto Galactus' ship and begins to poke around.  Which brings us to:

Issue six featured that cover! And what a cover it was, featuring all the Villains, all the bad guys and leading them was none other than Doctor Doom.  The cover was penciled and inked by Bob Layton.  Galactus begins assembling his equipment in his preparations to eat Battleworld; The Wasp crashes the ship she used to escape Magneto and ends up hanging out in a swamp with the Lizard; Dr. Doom discovers Klaw on Galactus' ship and sends him to relay a message to the villains; Xavier conducts a mind probe of the planet and learns a little of Doom's plans so he dispatches half of the X-Men to spy on the bad guys; Storm takes him to task for usurping her leadership; Colossus begins to develop feelings for Zsaji but she has already been spoken for by the Torch; Cyclops, Wolvie and Rogue take on Doom's small task force and Wolverine hurts the Molecule Man badly; Cyclops begins a chain reaction of volcanic eruptions; Another team of baddies show up to retrieve the Lizard and shoot the Wasp, presumably fatally, when she gets in their way.

Issue 6 was also significant (for me) because Mike Zeck had returned to the series and would be the regular artist with John Beatty.  I was so happy to see Mike Zeck on Secret Wars.  Don't get me wrong Bob Layton did an admirable job of filling in for Zeck but I'm a Mike Zeck Fan. (Oh you can also check out my board on  https://www.pinterest.com/comicbookbroadc/mike-zeck-artwork/
for a look at Mike Zeck's artwork) 

Next came Issue # 7 which featured a cover by Bob Layton on Pencils and Inks.  The cover says it all.  Issue # 7 was a significant issue for a number of reasons.  1. The Death of an Avenger, in those days this was considered a significant event. 2. The X Men's Greatest battle and 3. The Introduction of the New Spider Woman, Julia Carpenter.  The heroes meet the new Spider-Woman; The Wrecker and his allies show up and throw the body of the fallen Wasp at our heroes before they take off; Zsaji can do nothing for her as she is dead; Magento and the X-Men battle the bad guys but they escape; Magneto notices that Doom is lurking on his world ship and expels him violently; She-Hulk invades Doombase solo seeking revenge for the death of the Wasp but is outnumbered and beaten badly; The X-Men agree to keep an eye on Galactus who has once again begun his process of eating Battleworld so the Avengers can take off and rescue She-Hulk.  All this leading up to the big boy of the Secret Wars Limited Series which is issue # 8!

What a cover! Mike Zeck and John Beatty did a great job on this cover introducing Spider Man's Black and white Costume for the first time, actually this issue came out 7 months after Amazing Spider Man #252. So I guess you can say that this is the first chronological appearance of Venom (as new Spider-Man costume). Spidey's new black costume only appears on the last two pages of the story.  The other major event in this issue, the Wasp, Janet Van Dyne returns from the dead.

The heroes invade the bad guy's base in retaliation for the death of the Wasp; They soundly trounce the bad guys and capture most of them; As they return to their base with a badly wounded She-Hulk, they discover that Wasp is not dead but was healed by Zsaji; When Spidey notices that Thor's costume has been restored, he is directed to a machine that spits out a small black ball which quickly covers him and becomes his new costume; Xavier contacts the heroes and tells them that Galactus has begun to eat Battleworld.  Wow, the series just got more and more intense as it slowly rolls towards Issue # 12.  

When I was reading all these issues, I kept remembering the copy of Issue # 12 I bought a few years earlier and yeah it was all sorta spoiled for me. Spoilers everywhere, every page but I still had fun reading this series.  

So what happens in the last four issues of the Ultimate 12 Part Limited Series?  Well, a lot.  What happens?  Now, that will be revealed in Part 3 of Secret Wars right here on The Co(s)mic Comic Book Broadcast and I promise I won't make you wait...well not too long anyway.  I'll see you again for the third part of this broadcast.  Remember, drop by anytime, you are always welcomed here and as usual you take care!