Mixed in my DNA on my mother’s side is that of my Viking ancestors, who traveled to their neighboring countries, pillaging and plundering. I would have made a lousy Viking. When my chief would order us aboard the longboats, swords and shields at the ready, I’d raise my hand and say, “I have a note from my doctor that I am going to have to miss this trip, fellas. Heh-heh, sorry. Love to go, but got a touch of the old arthritis.” I haven’t gotten this old by engaging in a life of danger and risky behavior, you know.
The Grand Comics Database doesn’t guess at an artist, but credits William Woolfolk for the script. “Last Vikings” is from The Marvel Family #9 (1947).
In 2014 I showed how Airboy fought some blind Vikings. Just click on the thumbnail.
Uhmmm… NO!
ReplyDeleteThis story is an example of why I want comic books to have meta-heroes, who go from story to story, punishing those alleged heroes who do inexcusably stupid things. Mary and Freddy might as well have done lots of backwards walking in the story.
Setting that aside, in 3:2, Billy tells the Captain that it's time to call Captain Marvel, yet subsequently conceals his involvement, and the Captain just accepts the performance of the ship as one of those things. Later, someone seems to have thought that a mace were some sort of battle-axe.
And I hope that, as well as honors, these Vikings were given some years in prison, where they belonged.
So, it's Hagar the Horrible rather than Leif Erikson... :D
ReplyDeleteWhy do Mary and Freddy ever surrender their powers?!? Why don't they just change clothes?
ReplyDeleteBilly just isn't Captain Marvel; there's some kinda swap going on there (as with the later relationship between Rick Jones and Mar-Vell); so it makes sense for those two to toggle.
But Mary is always Mary, and Freddy is always Freddy. Sure, the automatic costume change is sometimes convenient, but it's hardly ever worth the loss of efficacy!
Daniel, why isn't Clark Kent always Superman, Peter Parker always Spider-Man? I assume it was believed that kids needed someone to identify with. If Freddy and Mary were always their superhero selves, then the kids wouldn't be able to fantasize about finding a magic word for instant transformation. Something like that, anyway.
ReplyDeleteLogically it would make more sense to be Captain Marvel Jr or Mary Marvel 24/7, if only because their enemies wouldn't have the opportunity to capture them, knock them out, tie them to a chair and gag them so they can't transform themselves. Jeez, those poor kids...maybe it was all those knocks on their noggins that addled their brains and kept them from thinking that being in civilian identity just causes real bad headaches.
Had I been Freddy I would for sure have wanted to be Captain Marvel Jr all the time.
Clark Kent is always Superman; he just disguises himself, instead of surrendering his powers. Peter Parker gives up the wrist guns, but keeps the strength, speed, sense, and ability to move across walks and ceilings.
ReplyDeleteLeonard Brown has little choice; if he hacked the belt, then he'd die.
Freddy and Mary are just … stupid. They need to change clothes, but stay Marvels.
Daniel, there was some hokum about Superman not revealing his identity lest his friends be targeted, but we know whenever Lois or Jimmy was in trouble Superman was there to save them. Superman didn't get married (except in imaginary tales) because of the same reason, supposedly, but I suspect he might have been afraid of commitment. (Ha, ha, ha.)
ReplyDeleteHaving civilian identities just gave the writers potentially more plots to work with.