tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post3408828267323782094..comments2024-03-28T10:18:00.370-05:00Comments on Gentlemen of Leisure: X-amining X-Factor Annual #2Austin Gortonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14281239771248780430noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-33354622159226329872014-01-29T16:03:37.113-06:002014-01-29T16:03:37.113-06:00@Blam: Judging by the chronological sort of his cr...@Blam: <i>Judging by the chronological sort of his credits at the GCD he did even more for Marvel than DC, but it wasn't stuff I was reading</i><br /><br />Yeah, at the very least that list confirms that this annual is indeed the only place I've seen his work. Austin Gortonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14281239771248780430noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-56943482299050133942014-01-28T18:25:24.212-06:002014-01-28T18:25:24.212-06:00@Teebore: // Has [Grindberg] done other stuff? I d...<br>@Teebore: <i>// Has [Grindberg] done other stuff? I don't think I've ever seen his work outside this annual. //</i><br /><br />Yeah. He worked at Continuity (where almost everyone in-house was an Adams clone), but I first saw his stuff on DC's <i>Secret Origins</i> and the last issue of my onetime fave <i>All-Star Squadron</i> in 1986, so right before this annual. Judging by <a href="http://www.comics.org/credit/name/tom%20Grindberg/sort/chrono/" rel="nofollow">the chronological sort</a> of his credits at the GCD he did even more for Marvel than DC, but it wasn't stuff I was reading; I mostly remember him for those Roy Thomas collabs and the 1992 <i>Batman: Bride of the Demon</i> graphic novel, plus some later random Marvel cover where I noticed he'd switched from being a poor Neal Adams clone to a poor Mike Mignola clone.<br /><br>Blamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07342343767763035991noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-11164117058696573732014-01-27T12:54:28.203-06:002014-01-27T12:54:28.203-06:00@Blam: Tom Grindberg is pretty much my least favor...@Blam: <i>Tom Grindberg is pretty much my least favorite Neal Adams clone/spawn ever. </i><br /><br />Has he done other stuff? I don't think I've ever seen his work outside this annual. <br /><br />Glad I wasn't offbase in seeing him as an Adams' clone, though. <br /><br />Austin Gortonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14281239771248780430noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-49411973219715513202014-01-23T07:31:12.928-06:002014-01-23T07:31:12.928-06:00I can't speak to Quicksilver's deal specif...<br>I can't speak to Quicksilver's deal specifically, as this was a period of very low interest re (and therefore great ignorance of) the Marvel U on my part. All the stuff about him actually having gone bad, as well as Crystal stepping out on him, is news to me; while Pietro's always been imperious at best and often a flat-out jerk, I really wasn't aware he'd ever been classified as a villain again since ditching Magneto for the Avengers. But I will say that threading through various series the arcs of characters who don't have their own features seems not uncommon, either at the hands of a writer who had a particular affinity for that character or because editorial wanted certain groundwork laid in anticipation of an upcoming relaunch/spotlight of the character in a new series or storyline. We've seen it with Carol Danvers and Rogue to an extent right here. Yeah, I would expect to have Quicksilver dealt with in a Fantastic Four or Avengers issue sooner than an <i>X-Factor</i> annual, but once the Inhumans are involved he's right in the mix.<br /><br />Tom Grindberg is pretty much my least favorite Neal Adams clone/spawn ever. <br /><br>Blamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07342343767763035991noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-4054461205796658492014-01-18T13:55:23.251-06:002014-01-18T13:55:23.251-06:00@angmc43: He popped up at the end of Englehart'...@angmc43: <i>He popped up at the end of Englehart's WCA run as a villain, with Wanda pondering about insanity being a family trait (...). </i><br /><br />Ah, yeah, I remember that now. And of course, his role in the whole "Magneto's is evil again!" Byrne story. Austin Gortonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14281239771248780430noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-28203571106186346762014-01-18T13:28:09.608-06:002014-01-18T13:28:09.608-06:00Even without that story, she def deserves a first ...Even without that story, she def deserves a first class ticket.wwk5dnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-49628509730727425972014-01-18T13:11:49.480-06:002014-01-18T13:11:49.480-06:00@angmc43- The reason why Crystal is sometimes left...@angmc43- The reason why Crystal is sometimes left off the Floozie Express is because the ending of that story implied Crystal's dalliance with Ben was merely an illusion. Since then, some writers have written it like it was real, others like it was an illusion.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-85383218566901619342014-01-18T12:40:53.232-06:002014-01-18T12:40:53.232-06:00It was funny seeing Crytal make a snide comment on...It was funny seeing Crytal make a snide comment once about how loose Tigra was, which is hilarious because when you think about it, given Crytal's own personal history when it comes to relationships. wwk5dnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-66403830667821414542014-01-18T12:06:05.046-06:002014-01-18T12:06:05.046-06:00"I forget - did Quicksilver pop up towards th..."I forget - did Quicksilver pop up towards the end of Englehart's run and rejoin the team, or was that later, after the Byrne run?"<br />He popped up at the end of Englehart's WCA run as a villain, with Wanda pondering about insanity being a family trait (...). In Byrne's run- during Wanda's 1st Evil trip- Pietro showed up and joined her and Magneto with seeming villain intent, but it turned out to be a trick, and that he aided the Avengers, redeeming himself to the team.angmc43@hotmail.comhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15379700547226493861noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-82763727523976139302014-01-18T11:06:21.564-06:002014-01-18T11:06:21.564-06:00@Anonymous: The reason why Pietro's redemption...@Anonymous: <i>The reason why Pietro's redemption appeared in X-Factor instead of Fantastic Four or West Coast Avengers was because Steven Englehart was writing those titles and Englehart wanted Quicksilver to remain a permanent villain.</i><br /><br />I did not know that. I generally really like Englehart's WCA run, but I never knew he wanted Quicksilver to remain a permanent villain. I forget - did Quicksilver pop up towards the end of Englehart's run and rejoin the team, or was that later, after the Byrne run? <br /><br /><i>Quicksilver's redemption might have been backed by Harras- he always liked Pietro.</i><br /><br />I could see that. <br /><br />Austin Gortonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14281239771248780430noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-63380696271502580732014-01-18T10:57:52.257-06:002014-01-18T10:57:52.257-06:00Indeed, there was a Johnny/'Alicia'/Crysta...Indeed, there was a Johnny/'Alicia'/Crystal triangle in Englehart's FF run, but in the end Johnny chose his wife. A fan-letter in UXM#239 compared Johnny's situation to Scott, and thought the former handled the 'married man and his first love' situation better than the latter.<br /><br />But it's correct about Crystal and the Floozie Express. I found it interesting that mostly everyone put Gwen Stacy as star guest of that train, but decided to ignore other Silver Age passengers like Crystal, Clea (Benjamin Franklin), Betty Brant Leeds (affairs with Peter Parker and Flash Thompson), and Karen Page (during her porn-star/druggie phase), and to a lesser extent, the flirtatious Mary Jane Watson.angmc43@hotmail.comhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15379700547226493861noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-12433521543554126282014-01-18T10:27:36.192-06:002014-01-18T10:27:36.192-06:00Sorry, that should be Quicksilver's redemption...Sorry, that should be Quicksilver's redemption, not Englehart's redemption.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-42671663570751128062014-01-18T10:26:44.239-06:002014-01-18T10:26:44.239-06:00@Teebore- Real Estate Dude appeared in FF 311.
The...@Teebore- Real Estate Dude appeared in FF 311.<br />The reason why Pietro's redemption appeared in X-Factor instead of Fantastic Four or West Coast Avengers was because Steven Englehart was writing those titles and Englehart wanted Quicksilver to remain a permanent villain. Englehart's redemption might have been backed by Harras- he always liked Pietro.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-37186123653245320402014-01-17T23:03:28.169-06:002014-01-17T23:03:28.169-06:00"it crushed a good amount of the Kree ruins &..."it crushed a good amount of the Kree ruins "Burying for all time the fateful spot upon which a young woman from Earth once died to save the Universe." (FF#240)"<br /><br />Oh, Byrne, you vindictive little SOB... <br /><br />Crystal also did bust up the marriage between Johnny Storm and (not)Alicia Masters. For someone who accuses other women of being sluts, she certainly enjoys a ride every now and then on The Floozy Express...wwk5dnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-30446572255471813372014-01-17T17:21:29.195-06:002014-01-17T17:21:29.195-06:00@angmc43: I think that might be problematic, becau...@angmc43: <i>I think that might be problematic, because when John Byrne's FF had the Inhumans land their home on the Blue Area, it crushed a good amount of the Kree ruins "Burying for all time the fateful spot upon which a young woman from Earth once died to save the Universe."</i><br /><br />If memory serves, when X-Factor ends up back on the Blue Area during their final story (scripted by Claremont) before the "Muir Island Saga", they come across weaponry similar to what Phoenix used to kill herself, so it seems that not everything was destroyed by Attilan/Claremont ignored (willfully or otherwise) that line of Byrne's. <br /><br /><i>We never saw the lover again after THE VISION AND THE SCARLET WITCH 2 LS ended.</i><br /><br />I seem to remember him showing up in an issue of either <i>Avengers</i> or <i>X-Factor</i> (maybe an annual backup story?) in the 90s, during the period where Quicksilver & Crystal were reconciling. <br /><br />I could be remembering that wrong, though I think it's the only place I ever encountered the character (and learned he was a relative schlub), as I've never read the Vision/SW mini. <br /><br />As always, thanks for the background info. Austin Gortonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14281239771248780430noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-69367091371501334132014-01-17T16:33:52.984-06:002014-01-17T16:33:52.984-06:00So Jean asks Scott to take her to the spot where P...So Jean asks Scott to take her to the spot where Phoenix died...I think that might be problematic, because when John Byrne's FF had the Inhumans land their home on the Blue Area, it crushed a good amount of the Kree ruins "Burying for all time the fateful spot upon which a young woman from Earth once died to save the Universe." (FF#240) <br /><br />Quicksilver also had other issues: his dislike of sister Wanda's marriage to the Vision, Moondragon mind-raping him into accepting the union, Magneto revealing his paternity to him, his daughter Luna being born a human (a 'problem' he tried to fix by unsuccessfully attempting to expose her to the Terrigan Mist, an act that began his marriage problems). But yes, Crystal having an affair with a house salesman was the straw that broke the camel's back. We never saw the lover again after THE VISION AND THE SCARLET WITCH 2 LS ended. <br /><br />Franklin, Medusa, and Quicksilver all being together hues back to the last time this happened in FANTASTIC FOUR. <br />Johnny (during his Golden Age Torch red costume phase) plans to rekindle thing with Crystal (a star-crossed affair caused by Inhuman intolerance to air pollution), only to find out Crystal had rescued, nursed, and fallen in love with Pietro! This ends up with Crystal and Pietro getting engaged.<br />While one union was starting, another was troubled. Reed and Sue were having marriage problems: Sue was having trouble juggling being adventurer and mother, with Reed being insensitive (Mr. Fantastic certainly gave Scott a run for his money as Husband Of The Year!). By the time the FF joined Johnny to the Inhumans' home city, an estrangement had happened between the couple. Medusa decided to join the FF and take Sue's place, as some goodwill action to help foster Human-Inhuman relations. <br />Shortly afterwards, Annihilus kidnaps Sue & Franklin, channeling the child's mutant power to overload and destroy the Universe. To stop this threat, Reed tries out for Father Of The Year: He blasts his only child with a device that turns Franklin's mind off, making him a comatose vegetable! (Anyone see THE ICE STORM? Tobey Maguire is reading this story). While Franklin's mother, uncle, and godfather dropped father for his action (although the latter two did come around), Medusa was the only one to be compassionate and understanding to Reed. Sue sued for divorce, and turned to Namor the Sub-Mariner for comfort. Namor then managed to pull a scheme that eventually reunited Reed and Sue.<br />Crystal and Pietro have their wedding, guested by the FF (including veggie Franklin) and the Avengers (a late invitation, since Pietro deliberately decided not to inform them about it due to WandaXVision). Like most superhero weddings, this one got crashed by a villain: Ultron, who proceeded to zap the heroes via psionic means. This action restored Franklin's mind, causing the kid to unleash his powers and defeat Ultron. It also temporarily burned out said powers for a time.angmc43@hotmail.comhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15379700547226493861noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-90740461055615476902014-01-17T15:57:35.453-06:002014-01-17T15:57:35.453-06:00@wwk5d: First, Quicksilver being on the road to re...@wwk5d: <i>First, Quicksilver being on the road to redemption should be a big deal...but as you said, it shouldn't happen here. Maybe in an Avengers annual, but definitely not here.</i><br /><br />That's a really good point - as much as X-Factor feels shoehorned into a Quicksilver/FF story, from the perspective of Avengers and Fantastic Four readers, it must seem odd to see this plotline randomly pop up in <i>X-Factor</i>.Austin Gortonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14281239771248780430noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7266470995513648978.post-26674797942085004622014-01-17T14:57:00.724-06:002014-01-17T14:57:00.724-06:00In theory, this should be more important than it e...In theory, this should be more important than it ended up being. First, Quicksilver being on the road to redemption should be a big deal...but as you said, it shouldn't happen here. Maybe in an Avengers annual, but definitely not here.<br /><br />And the whole Scott/Jean/Phoenix resolution is a nice idea, in theory. I like the idea of Jean suggesting in that last panel that Scott pay his last respects to "Phoenix", because, that was a big part of Scott's life. I think this issue might have worked if 1) More of the issue was somehow devoted to this sub-plot and 2) Simonson had written it and worked it around the regular series. wwk5dnoreply@blogger.com