As a dedicated gamer, I like to delve into the past of comic book history. In my recent exploration, I’m taking a trip back to January 1975, where I got acquainted with Howard the Duck for the very first time on Earth.
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I’ve fallen slightly behind, so I’m now reading the last two posts from January. Let’s dive in! It’s always surprising to discover which character will become the standout in a series. As I mentioned a couple of years back, Steve Gerber’s inaugural comic book, Fear #11, was his very first work in his entire career. In this issue, he took over the Man-Thing feature, collaborating with artists Rich Buckler and Jim Mooney. Gerber immediately introduced a new character — Jennifer Kale, a witch who served as a sort of co-lead for the series (as Man-Thing was mute and had no thought bubbles). Jennifer performs a spell to summon a demon in her debut appearance.
At the moment when she was there, she wasn’t aware that the swampy region they were in was, in fact, the Nexus of Realities — a spot where various universes intersected. This is why the demon was capable of crossing into their world from another dimension.
Eventually, Man-Thing managed to keep the demon occupied for a sufficient amount of time, allowing Jennifer and her younger sibling to send the malevolent spirit back to its origin. About three comic book installments later (with Val Mayerik now drawing the series, and Chic Stone handling the inks), Jennifer and Man-Thing were magically transported to an alternate dimension by Dakimh the Sorcerer (a character named as a clever homage to Gerber’s friend, the late David Kraft).
The comic «Fear» #19, now inked by Sal Trapani featuring art by Mayerik, began with an intense clash of warriors hailing from distinct dimensions…
In the intricate scheme, Jennifer Kale and the Man-Thing found themselves embroiled too. Among them was an old combatant named Korrek, who made an attempt on Jennifer’s life…
After that, she seemed to have woken up from a dream-like state, but it wasn’t a dream. Instead, Jennifer could feel the disturbance in the fabric of multiple realities.
Later on, Korrek successfully navigated his way to Jennifer’s realm. There, he assaulted her, only to find himself disoriented and stranded in a world unfamiliar to him – a world he had no part in creating…
Later on, Dakimh clarified to Jennifer the predicament at hand. In essence, a disturbance from beyond was causing turmoil throughout the Multiverse, posing a grave risk to countless beings across numerous realities, as it seemed that everything could potentially self-destruct…
In the mission aimed at saving the Multiverse, not only did Man-Thing and Korrek play crucial roles, but an unexpected duck character also emerged in the same issue set in a swamp. This duck, too, was trapped in an unfamiliar world, which would eventually lead to his own solo story featured in Giant-Size Man-Thing #4, published in January 1975.
How did Howard the Duck debut in the Marvel Universe?
In issue #19 of «Fear,» Howard the Duck first appeared, having likewise been unwittingly transported to our realm during the multiverse’s tumultuous period.
The success of the Man-Thing storyline was such that Marvel decided to give Man-Thing his own comic book series. As a result, the narrative unfolded in issue 1 of Man-Thing, penned by Gerber, Mayerik and Trapani.
In a bid to disrupt the Network of Existences, a figure known as the Overlord was enlisting malevolent beings. This chaos brought Korrek, Man-Thing, and an unexpected ally, Howard, into a fierce battle, with Howard joining the fray despite initial reservations.
As a gamer, I found myself cornered when Dakimh appeared, urging me to join him on one final, risky mission to save the Multiverse — only a team of five would do.
Sadly, during their journey, Howard fell off the steps they were traveling on and seemingly died!
It seems that either the public’s reaction to Howard the Duck was positive, or perhaps Gerber found him appealing. As a result, more than a year later, Gerber revisited the character to find out where he had actually landed!
How did Howard the Duck get his own solo feature?
A full YEAR has passed since the incident, and in issue 4 of «Giant-Size Man-Thing,» written by Gerber and illustrated by Frank Brunner, we discover that Howard found himself traversing different dimensions.
And lands back on the Marvel version of Earth, where he encounters two friendly young kids…
In a humorous turn of events, they lead him to a nearby tobacco shop, where he purchases three cigars for just a dollar. However, the money he uses is from his home planet, causing quite a shock to the tobacco shop proprietor.
Here, Gerber seemed to be aiming for an unconventional take on superhero stories, by satirizing typical villain narratives prevalent in Marvel comics of that time. Instead of enhancing property values, this character resides idly in a window. After consuming the elixir, he undergoes a remarkable transformation — turning into a colossal frog!
Howard does his best to confront the villain, but in the end, the villain simply turns into an ordinary frog. Unfortunately, Howard is apprehended by the police. As the police vehicle departs, it unintentionally squashes the frog.
In my gaming world, this tale stands out like a rare, coveted artifact. No wonder it caught the imagination of its time’s readers, hook, line, and sinker!
If you’ve got any ideas for comic books published in February or other later months from the years 2015, 2000, 1975, and 1950 that I could highlight, feel free to email me at brianc@cbr.com! However, please keep in mind that the cover date of a comic book is usually two months before its actual release date (for instance, October for a book that came out in August). This way, you can suggest books that were actually published in the correct month. It’s easier to identify older comics since they had internet coverage back then.
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2025-02-12 01:08