Marvel Preview #10

In my last post, I mentioned that there was an issue of Marvel Preview that featured Thor and that I would write about it in the future. I decided that I'd might as well go ahead and write about it now, while the topic is still fresh in my mind.

The issue in question is Marvel Preview #10 (1977).

If you're anything like me, you're probably wondering why there would be an issue of Marvel Preview with Thor, a mainstream Marvel hero, in it. After all, he has his own title and is a member of The Avengers. What could possibly justify his occupying a spot in the schedule of a black-and-white magazine that typically showcases creator-owned properties and other decidedly non-mainstream characters?

The answer could lie within the fact that the story exists outside of regular Marvel continuity, long before Thor even became a superhero, back when he was "just" a god. While it's true that there have been issues of Thor that have dealt with the god's youth, I suppose this story just wouldn't fit anywhere else. It's also a bit more "adult" than the Marvel fare of the Bronze Age (though not much). In the modern comic market, it might have been published as an annual or perhaps as a special edition.

The real selling point for me, however, was that it was penciled by Jim Starlin, an artist whose work I find irresistable.

The story, which I assume is called "Blood Quest," although that title only appears on the cover and not in the comic itself, concerns Thor's and Loki's being charged with a quest by Odin. Long ago, a magical gemstone, The Crystal of Blood, was created, with the power to "generate total non-existence." Odin fears that this crystal, though hidden in an underground chamber, could someday be used to overthrow him and asks that his sons find it so that it can be safeguarded by Odin himself.

Naturally, they agree.

They begin their quest by consulting the witch Shamballa, who, it is said, knows the location of the gemstone. She attempts to betray Loki to the monsters that dwell beneath her castle, but Thor easily defeats them with his hammer. Shamballa apologizes for her treachery and gives them the information they seek.

The brothers finally reach the Cavern of the Screaming Skull. Therein, they battle titans and a dragon before "earning" the magical relic. Loki, predictably, claims the gemstone for himself and plans to use it to exact revenge against Odin for "all the indignities" he has suffered in Thor's "shadow."

Loki attacks Thor with the crystal until one of the titans, thought defeated, assails the trickster from behind and prepares to destroy the gods with it. Thor hurls Mjolnir and knocks the titan down, shattering the crystal in the process. In typical fashion, the cavern begins to collapse, and Thor and Loki, escaping, return to Asgard.

They are sorry to report that the crystal was destroyed, but Odin explains that he had planned to destroy it himself anyway. He dismisses Loki but asks to speak to Thor privately. When asked about his brother's conduct during the quest, the thundergod, wishing to please his father, replies that Loki was nothing short of valorous. Odin then reveals that he had been observing them the entire time and that the real reason for the quest was so that he could determine which of his sons was better suited to one day assume his mantle.

The story, in some ways, reminded me of something that might have appeared in Savage Tales. Sword & sorcery (well, perhaps hammer & sorcery) through and through, it contains all the elements that fans of the genre have come to expect and appreciate. It didn't read like a typical Thor story, and that, to me, is what made it worthwhile (not that there's anything wrong with typical Thor stories).

But wait.

What the cover didn't tell us is that the issue contains another story, not about Thor, but about Hercules.

The fact that the second feature, "The Isle of Fear," was illustrated by Val Mayerik (whose work on The Living Mummy in Supernatural Thrillers absolutely floored me) qualifies this as one of the best purchases I've ever made. I couldn't believe my luck.

Like the Thor story, this tale is set long before Hercules became a Marvel superhero and does not disappoint.

Hercules sets out with Jason (yes, that Jason) to find the "Gold of the Gorgon" to appease Kreon, the king of Phylos, whom Jason has managed to thoroughly piss off. The heroes journey to the island in question aboard the Argo, fully aware that danger awaits.

After defeating a griffin in a hard-fought battle, the heroes encounter and overpower Medusa, claiming her golden apples and winged steed. Victorious, they return to the court of Phylos, and Kreon gets what he deserves.

The art in this tale is immensely satisfying, capturing the atmosphere of mythical ancient Greece superbly.

There aren't many near-perfect comics out there, but this is definitely one of them. Immaculate from cover to cover and completely unique to the time in which is was created, Marvel Preview #10 is an absolute gem.