This week has been a mixture of highs and lows. Dealing with a mix of difficult... and cooperative... customers at my job. Handling leads... and dead-ends... with my employment search. Feeling ill... yet still stable... due to whatever bug I may have picked up. And we end up with a weekend of blogging, going on a "Color Cruise" walk with my girlfriend, tomorrow... and afterwards browsing a KILLER comic store, and eventually watching the documentary, "Jodorowski's 'Dune'". I just hope all that will serve as a karmic pat-on-the-back, and hopefully next week will lead to some promising developments. BUT, my working experience has lead me to an idea genesis for one of this weekend's blogs!
Y'see, while elements of my job aren't always the most pleasant, one thing I will NOT short-change is how great and helpful my co-workers are. I receive help when I need it, and thusly I provide it willingly when it's requested of me. I do my best to spice up a given day with my wit, and they provide me with positive social interactions, in return! All in all, not a bad trade-off. And if there's one thing the Marvel Universe is best known for, it is the... "interesting" interactions the heroes of the shared universe share. Sometimes it's for one-on-one dialogues, or team conferences. From the start of the "Marvel Age of Comics" in the 1960's, the creative teams behind the Marvel books have peppered their characters with personalities that have helped create some MEMORABLE meetings! I'll tackle these meetings, by their very natures, and effects. (But don't expect detailed synopses for my mentions: this was designed to be a BRIEF exploration on the relationships, not a scholarly discourse on the issues. In other words, just roll with me and have FUN with it!)
Social Networking: In "Amazing Spider-Man #1", Spider-Man proved how ahead of the curve he was by attempting to form relationships through the activity of social networking. In his case, that HAPPENED to involve... basically... invading the headquarters of the Fantastic Four. But it was ALL for a mostly good cause! Y'see, not only did Peter Parker seek to gain membership into a respected team of superheroes to earn a better reputation on his part, but he also reckoned that the Fantastic Four earns MONEY for their adventures! So, enhanced reputation... a steady paycheck for "fighting the good fight"... Spidey had LinkedIn beat by nearly 40 YEARS!!! Granted, this meeting served as the beginning of the ongoing Spidey/Human Torch "friendly rivalry", along with Spider-Man's plan essentially fizzling out, but it DID begin to earn him the eventual friendship of Marvel's "First Family", and in due time Spider-Man DID become an official Fantastic Four member!
Mutual Cause Unification: I could spend DAYS talking about how Bruce Banner/Hulk is not exactly the best example of "teamwork", but "Avengers #1" proved that even "Jade Jaws" can put conflicts aside for a greater threat. We owe Thor's half-brother, Loki, a debt of gratitude for arranging things on Earth so that the Hulk could play the patsy for Loki's scheming to destroy Thor. Because if the Hulk didn't play the scapegoat for Loki's plottings, then Iron Man, Thor, Ant-Man... and even the Wasp, would have NEVER received the call from Rick Jones' "Teen Brigade" radio brand to unite against the Hulk. BUT when Loki was revealed to be the threat source, that's when even the Hulk turned to the people that spent about 10+ pages trying to pummel him, and decided to smash that "puny god". Thus was born a relationship based on necessity to tackle the large obstacles. But, alas, sometimes differences CANNOT be overcome, completely. Sometimes suspicions can demolish a unification. And sometimes that split can form SEPERATE unifications that can bite you in the butt...
Frienemies: I don't often subscribe to some of our current slang terms. Some of them... let's face it... are a massacre of the English language. (I worry that in the next 5 years, we'll be seeing "LOL" appear for MAJOR executive meeting dialogues.) But the forming of a relationship that's born out of mutual hatred for ANOTHER source, despite contentions against each other, can only be best described as "frienemies". And such a relationship was formed in "Avengers #3", between the Hulk and Namor the Sub-Mariner. Lemme tell you the story of what happened in the previous issue: a shape-shifting alien called the Space Phantom infiltrated the Avengers headquarters, and played upon ingrown suspicions among the team. But remember how they were formed? To battle against the Hulk? Guess who becomes the scapegoat for his OWN TEAM?!? If you guessed the "Green Goliath", GOLD STAR! Hulk realizes this is a load of bunk, quits the team, and in this issue, decides to team up with Namor to destroy the Avengers. However, while the Hulk can be rather cantankerous, Namor is not exactly the model for positive thoughts, either. And while they BOTH feel that destroying the Avengers would further their own goals... and feel MIGHTY GOOD... they also both see each other as obstacles. But forming a "frienemy" relationship is not often the most stable foundation to achieving a goal. But we shall see, later, that SOMETIMES that hurdle can be overcome...
Helping Hands: I know I talked about this particular issue in a previous blog entry about the Hulk/Thing rivalry. But this issue fits PERFECTLY with today's theme, in that while the Fantastic Four was having a difficult time dealing with a Hulk rampage, leave it to the Avengers to pitch in a helping hand! Of course, this wasn't exactly a pitch-perfect union; the Avengers and the Fantastic Four DID manage to step on each others' toes for their initial battle against that eternal "friend maker", the Hulk. And this DID result in some heated words. But the nice thing about battling the Hulk is that, eventually, such mistakes in good intentions can result in letting such perceived offenses be placed on the back-burner to achieve the GREATER goal; of taking down ole' Bruce Banner.
New Kid On The Block: So it's a bit of a stretch to refer to Steve Rogers as the "new kid on the block", but after having the character of Captain America put on the shelf for nearly 12 years after his initial heyday in the 1940's, for his return to the "modern era" of the 1960's, it was like Captain America was moving into a brand new neighborhood. Even in his first modern appearance in "Avengers #4", he was sort of "hazed" by his new group of buddies, the Avengers. (Between this, and either the second or third "Amazing Spider-Man" annual, the Avengers did an AMAZING job of instigating trouble among people they were interested in MEETING! Geez! These guys could make certain fraternity and sorority rituals look mildly "playful"!) But for Cappy's solo appearance debut, in "Tales of Suspense #58", Steve proved that even the most well-intentioned "new kid" had to prove himself to people that would later become solid allies. Such is the case of how Kraven the Hunter and the Chameleon plotted to use Captain America as a patsy for their own crimes... on a bet, because there was NO chance these lifelong "losers" would score a victory over Iron Man... and thus causing Iron Man to target Captain America in a construction yard brawl. But sometimes to become proper "bros", you have to fight it out before you hug it out. And as we'll see later, sometimes even THAT doesn't always hold as a bond...
Altered Perceptions: Relationships are a wonderful thing. BUT sometimes a particular partnership can result in the whispering in ears about someone that wants to enter your social circle, and someone in that partnership TOTALLY disagreeing on the inclusion of that new element. And conflict is born, as proved in "Tales to Astonish #57". Sigh... Why could the world not SEE that Spider-Man was only watching out for their best interests? Giant-Man seemed rather amiable to his being included as POTENTIALLY a member of the Avengers. But, leave it to Hank Pym's girlfriend, Janet Van Dyne/The Wasp, to whisper in his ear about how Spidey is such a menace. (But then again, she was also NUTS enough to talk about Wasps being natural enemies of Spiders. I'm not excusing Hank's INFAMOUS abuse of Janet, but let's not mince words: in her early appearances, the Wasp was BUG-NUTS INSANE.) And because of the Wasp's dislike, a viable addition to the Avengers was put on hold for over 40 years. Friendship, DENIED.
Fast Friends: The subject of the Defenders can be best described as "Fast Friends". Long known as Marvel's established "non-team", even the founding fathers of the team... Hulk, Namor, Silver Surfer, and Dr. Strange... would not last entirely long as a cohesive unit. But sometimes casual acquaintances that aren't always on a solid foundation can STILL manage to work together without complete implosion. ... I shouldn't really state in that fashion, but the Defenders have, throughout the years, managed to avoid in-team brawls BEFORE a member decides to split. The "speed dating" team of Marvel heroes first saw official life in "Marvel Feature #1", and while the team concept of the Defenders has come and gone for about 40 years, eventually those heroes that don't belong to the established Marvel "unions" will take their "misfit toy" mentalities, and for a short rotational timespan, unify their powers for the cause of protecting the innocent!
Political Lines: Sigh... As my last two examples will showcase, friendships will have a VERY difficult time maintaining cohesion when talking about deeper topics, such as politics and/or hot-button issues. Such was the case with the build-up to, and launch of, "Civil War #1". After a Connecticut disaster stemming from a battle involving Nitro and the New Warriors, the U.S. government decides that superheroic activites CANNOT operate independently, anymore, and they should be subject to governmental supervision. Captain America does not approve; Iron Man DOES approve. They REALLY cannot find a middle ground in this discussion, and thus sides are formed with each person being a figurehead, and armies of their fellow superheroic buddies are eventually clashing with each other, and making REALLY bad decisions. (Reed Richards, in particular, had a LOT to answer for in this particular event.) So lesson of the day for this event? You CAN talk about differing points of view with your friends, but PLEASE do not let them affect your general friendships. Or you, too, will be destroying a main population center in New York during your brawling.
Ideological Divides: "A Vs. X #1" is our final example of how relationships can work in the Marvel Universe. I've stated more than a few times in the blog's history that I'm not ALWAYS a huge fan of Marvel's "Merry Mutants". For one, they're REALLY just another extension of super-powered beings, only they're just born with their powers, making their scapegoating really pointless in the scheme of the universe. For two, they LET that scapegoating define their attitudes, and the various mutant factions can take their isolationism from general Marvel affairs get TOO dramatic. Such is the case with dealing with the fate of Hope, the mutant messiah figure. I REALLY can't remember the Avengers' stance on Hope's position, but I KNOW the X-Men wanted to exclude ANY assistance from the Avengers, because this was a "mutant affair". Puh-leeze, Cyclops! Anyways, this leads to 12 issues of battling, the destruction of the nation of Wakanda, the threat of the Phoenix Force, and the death of Charles Xavier. All because Scott Summers feels HE knows best for the world, and for mutant-kind. Ideas clash, and friendships are broken. Not exactly a high note to end out today's blog, eh?
Well, at least take heart! One thing the Marvel Universe has taught me is that relationships in the universe can be "volatile" at best, they aren't OFTEN existence-long. Sometimes differences can be overcome, and even the most frayed of friendships can be mended. Besides, we'll swing back to the positive, tomorrow, with another example of comic book friendship that was of a more GENERALLY positive nature!
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