The Vile Menagerie: MARCO XAVIER

Alter Ego: Marco Xavier
Occupation: Playboy; Sportsman; Crime Czar
Marital Status: Single
Known Relatives: None
Group Affiliation: Vulture
Base of Operations: The Mediterranean
First Appearance: House of Mystery #160 (July, 1966)
Height: Approx. 6"
Weight: Approx. 170 lbs.
Eyes: Dark
Hair: Black

History:
Little is know of the past life of the wealthy mystery man, Marco Xavier. Behind the high iron gates of his posh Mediterranean villa, he lived alone, with neither friend nor relative. Called by some a "very stubborn... lone wolfer," Xavier maintained his fortune by working with illicit operations, but never as a dedicated member. Still, his reputation of being reliable in performing "extra-legal chores" was "well known in underworld circles." The internationally famous playboy was eventually linked to such shady figures by a special security department, which in fact appeared to be their only lead in investigating the most sinister criminal organization on Earth, Vulture. Mr. Steele brought in J'onn J'onzz, the Manhunter from Mars, to pursue this lead. However, as soon as the Alien Ace began observing Xavier, he bore witness to a seemingly fatal car accident, as the playboy careened through guardrails on a winding mountain road and plunged to a fiery explosion below. Thinking quickly, the shapeshifting Martian assumed the guise of Marco Xavier, dangling from an outgrowth to be "saved" by local authorities.

Xavier appeared to have at least one named servant, a gentleman named Jeffers, who ushered in agents of Vulture to meet with "Xavier" the morning after the accident. Despite the assertions of Mr. Steele, Xavier had a highly desirable number of associates and friends, whom Xavier would be paid to spy upon or otherwise sabotage-- among them, notable magnates such as Apollo Magnus, Miklos Agar, Aldo Szuzi, and Pierre Carré. Marco Xavier appeared to have been quite the ladies man, often followed by a "bevy of beauties;" from doting socialites to dating secret agents, who he referred to frequently as "chicks." These assets seemed to help the faux Xavier maintain high value with the Faceless leader of Vulture, Mr. V.

After some time with J'onn J'onzz active under the guise of Marco Xavier, assisting Vulture in various plots, he received his final assignment. Manhunter/Xavier stole "the ultimate weapon" prototype pistol from The Carré Company, swapping it for a replica, but the deception was soon detected. Marco Xavier was finally wanted by the police for a specific crime, limiting his usefulness to Vulture, who still owed him a million dollars for the heist. After repeatedly evading authorities, Manhunter/Xavier was picked up by Vulture operatives, and taken to a tiny island on the opposite side of Mediterranean from his villa. This was a different location from where the pistol had been taken, and another high-tech underground Vulture base, which explained why the Manhunter had not detected it in prior surveys.

"Xavier" was led to Mr. V, who unmasked to reveal "Faceless" as Marco Xavier. Supposedly, one of Vulture's men had posed as the gendarme who had pronounced Xavier dead after the accident. It was declared that Vulture had been toying with the Manhunter from Mars the entire time, until they could deduce his secret weakness of fire. This Marco Xavier had continued the masquerade until he could lure Manhunter into "the perfect trap!" Rather than simply roast the Martian alive, and apparently "insane with power," this Xavier targeted Manhunter with the purloined prototype. It immediately exploded, wrecking the Vulture base, and presumably killing Marco Xavier before the Manhunter's eyes a second time.

Quote: "HA-HA! And now, while there still remains a breath of life in you, I shall test the ultimate weapon-- on my favorite target-- you!"

Created by Jack Miller & Joe Certa

Ivor Sandez

The killer Ivor Sandez was the personal "hatchet man" of Mr. V, and believed to be the only person in Vulture who knew Faceless' true identity. He was spotted by the Manhunter from Mars along a road near the posh Mediterranean villa of Marco Xavier, briefly stranded with his chauffeur as they experienced car trouble. The Alien Ace trailed Sandez to one of Mr. V's main headquarters in the mountains, but a Martian meteorite caused a body swap between Manhunter and the hatchet man. Ivor Sandez then decided to use his newfound Martian might to take out his grievances with the world, especially a Mr. V who "treated me like a dog-- ordering me around!" Sandez trashed the Vulture base, and J'onn J'onzz in Sandez's human body was blamed for leading Manhunter to the lair. While Mr. V was presumed to have vacated the site, Ivor Sandez continued his hate-filled rampage across the Mediterranean, while Vulture agents were under orders to shoot the human "Ivor Sandez" on sight. The day was saved by Manhunter's visiting other-dimensional side-kick Zook, who used his freezing powers to quash the meteorite, which reverted the Martian and Sandez back to their normal bodies. The Manhunter then captured Ivor Sandez, which may have led to his final confrontation with Mr. V. Ivor Sandez appeared in House of Mystery #170 (February, 1968).

Aldo Szuzi & Inspector Marchal

Aldo Szuzi is yet another obscenely wealthy old friend of Marco Xavier, but in this singular instance, he is also chummy with the Manhunter from Mars. While exhibiting ten million dollars worth of jewels at a fabulously posh resort of Deauville in France, "Senor" Szuzi had cause to expect theft. Despite detectives like Inspector Marchal being posted at every access point, Vulture brazenly stole the jewel case by air. A helicopter fitted with a crane had dome the deed, but Szuzi had also entrusted the Alien Ace with aerial assessment, who aced the whirlybird. Szuzi then announced a "big bonus for your favorite charity" and a ball the following week in the Manhunter's honor. The latter prompted Mr. V to entrust Marco Xavier with delivering a weapon into the ball for an assassin to use against the Martian Marvel. Aware of the plot via his dual Xavier/Manhunter identity, the Alien Atlas briefly shapeshifted into Aldo Szuzi to foil his own attempted murder, while allowing Szuzi to take all the credit for the feat of physical strength and prowess necessary to take out to murderous criminals.

Little else is known about Aldo Szuzi, but given that he was repeatedly referred to as "Senor" by his French associates, he is presumably of Hispanic persuasion. He is seen as gregarious and confident, has a robust figure, and usually smoking a cigar. Whatever their prior history, the Manhunter referred to "Aldo" informally in their sole published meeting in House of Mystery #164 (January, 1967).

Pierre

Pierre was a Vulture operative who worked out of a pastry shop front on the Rue Montville. Although his one story was initially set in Sweden, it seems more likely that it transitioned to France. Pierre even worked with a associate who superficially resembled Monsieur Ferreau. At minimum, Pierre was involved with the presentation of the robotic "Manhunter's Doom" to Marco Xavier, and had also paid the playboy a quarter of a million dollars in a briefcase for his role in determining the Manhunter's weakness to fire. Also, as with Monsieur Ferreau, we never saw this operative apprehended or his Vulture front shut down. Pierre appeared in House of Mystery #170 (October, 1967).

Monsieur Ferreau

Monsieur Ferreau operated out of the Lyons Branch of the international criminal syndicate Vulture, hidden behind a flower shop front, guarded by thugs. Under direction of the faceless chief of the sinister organization, Mr. V, Ferreau was tasked with briefing the international playboy Marco Xavier in a scheme against the Manhunter from Mars. Fearing Xavier's ties to multiple Vulture capers that were thwarted by the Martian Marvel might implicate him, and thus render him ineffective, Mr. V fed Xavier information to forward to the Manhunter on heists involving non-regular, expendable associates, in order to make Xavier appear to be on the side of angels. In this way, the Alien Atlas halted attempts to rob The Lyons Bank and The Montparnasse Museam, but soon realized that the easy busts were intended to distract the Sleuth from Outer Space while more consequential efforts were being executed elsewhere. With this realization, the Manhunter simply planned ahead and multi-tasked the downfall of both crimes. However, we do not see the Manhunter attempt to shut down the Lyons Branch or apprehend Monsieur Ferreau, so they presumably continued to operate beyond House of Mystery #167 (June, 1967).

Zoltar

Zoltar was a regional lieutenant operating out of the secret Athens headquarters of the world-wide criminal syndicate know as Vulture. He was also a "deputy Mr. V," indicating that a number of individuals played the role, and was the first to be unmasked in the conflict between Vulture and the Manhunter from Mars. Among the Athens unit's assets was a twin-engine plane used as a flying headquarters where free-lance operatives like Marco Xavier could be briefed via teleconference with a Mr. V without gaining knowledge of their primary regional location. This was in fact a barren island accessible by boat from Athens, with a secret elevator leading to a magnificent palatial structure far below the surface. The Manhunter eventually followed the unit underground, smashed the headquarters, and captured Zoltar and his men. However, another Mr. V taunted the Manhunter via a viewing screen that he had not located the true Faceless Mr. V! Zoltar appeared in House of Mystery #162 (October, 1966)

Miklos Agar

Potentate Miklos Agar had a priceless statue stolen by the international crime syndicate Vulture, which held it for a $250,000.00 ransom. Rather than risk one of their own men to make the exchange, Mr. V enlisted their freelance agent Marco Xavier, who was "palsy-walsy with Agar" and already visiting the Greek port of Athens. For his standard 10% fee, this time totaling twenty-five grand, Xavier made the exchange at the Athenian mansion of Agar, who confessed that he would be willing to have paid twice the asking price for the return of his lovely statuette. Their only appearance to date was in House of Mystery #162 (October, 1966)

2014 Houston Comicpalooza Marco Xavier Vulture Jam Sketch Detail by Brian Denham

I've had a busy day posting art across my blogs, so before we get started, you might like to take a look at these...

• 2023 Fan Expo New Orleans Darkman Commission by Derec Donovan
• 2023 Fan Expo New Orleans JLA JAM The Flash segment by Derec Donovan
• Image Comics 25th Anniversary Jam Savage Dragon & Friends detail by Evan Dorkin

Brian Denham was one of the very first artists that I ever commissioned, and the first take home piece, too. I love his work, and wish there was more of it. He used to be a regular at Houston shows, and I think he was living elsewhere in Texas, so I took his presence for granted a little bit. I've been sitting on this piece for eleven years, and I'm not sure if Denham has been back to town since. The previous portions of this jam had all been stacked up more or less vertically on one half of the pages, with the common theme of the subjects having appeared in Vulture tales from House of Mystery. This international criminal organization was routinely undermined by the Manhunter from Mars in his then-new public identity of Marco Xavier. J'onn J'onzz had stolen the identity from a wealthy playboy with ties to Vulture, and as the story progressed, it became clear that Xavier was a much bigger part of the outfit than originally thought. I'd hoped to have a Marco Xavier biographical profile up by now, and hope to work on that throughout September, while tossing off shorter pieces from that period. If all goes according to plan, I'll also have the finished jam up by October. But I've promised less and failed to deliver, so we'll see. I can't say the same for Denham though, as his take on Marco Xavier is the centerpiece of the jam. This is from a color photocopy from before additional contribution were made on top of it, so the colors are a little off, but hopefully they'll be better represented in the final scan. There's a sense of finality that comes from finally releasing these aging pieces and collecting them with others that are over a decade old. I wish that were not the case, but again, we'll see what the future holds...

Brian Denham

• 2011 Bel Juz Commission
• 2013 New 52 Martian Manhunter Commission
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2014 Houston Comicpalooza Abba Sulkar, Shtarker, & Grosse Vulture Jam Sketch Detail by Isaiah Broussard

Sorry for the missed post last week. I kept figuring I'd do another minor character spotlight from the Vulture period, but I had a lot of running around to do, and I'm still low on gas. I'm also sorry for sitting on another piece of art for a decade, long enough that the specific show I got it at is a best guess. I wish at least one of these guys had dated their contribution.

I'm confident that Isaiah Broussard drew Perkins Preston near the start of the 2014-2016 JLI, Saturnians, & Other Friends Artist Jam, which means Comicpalooza, and Elongated Man at or near the end of the 2015-2017 Martian Manhunter Comrades Jam, most probably at Charlotte HeroesCon 2017. I didn't think that I started this jam at the same show as the earliest attempts, so now I'm wondering if it was the 2015 Space City Comic Con, or maybe that year's Comicpalooza? But I already laid claim to the date/show on other posts, so...

I also can't recall if Broussard was the first or second contributor to this one, but given the other subject, probably second. Anyway, I dug what he did with Abba Sulkar and his minions, and having the lot of them helped a lot with the ultimate scale of the piece. Sulkar is a normal-sized dude, while Shtarker & Grosse were Martian Manhunter-sized. When you start putting characters in front or behind them, it shows just how titanic most of these menaces were. Looking forward to you folks seeing the final two(?) characters, but I'll probably start offering segments from another jam in the lead up to the blog's 18th anniversary in September, when I do the full reveal of many/most of these long-mothballed pieces. And with any luck, by October I can get to the last of my Broussard commissions, although that one's not even comics related.

Isaiah Broussard

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The Vile Menagerie: SULKAR

Alter Ego: Abba Sulkar
Occupation: Spy
Group Affiliation: Vulture
Base of Operations: Taurus Mountains, Turkey
First Appearance: House of Mystery #161 (September, 1966)
Height: Approx. 5'8"
Eyes: Light
Hair: Brown

History:
Abba Sulkar was the leader of a Vulture base in Turkey. Among his operatives were the towering brutes Shtarker and Grosse, as well as the lovely double agent Marie Fouchere. Sulkar was tasked with kidnapping a pair of scientists to drain their brains for evil purposes. Without clear motivation, Sulkar had Fouchere use her past romantic history with international playboy Marco Xavier to lure him to Sulkar for the same treatment. Successful, Sulkar explained his actions to Vulture's leader, and despite being ordered by Mr. V to set the tape of Xavier's stolen memories aside for his personal viewing, Sulkar wanted any secrets Xavier held for himself. Discovering Xavier was secretly Vulture's great enemy, the super-heroic Manhunter from Mars, Sulkar set about killing the mindless "Marco Xavier" while he was vulnerable in human form. However, Marie Fouchere double-crossed Sulkar to free the Manhunter, and Sulkar was killed in the resulting confrontation.

Weapons:
Aside from his advanced hidden mountain base, Sulkar utilized a pair of novel weapons. He possessed a large computerized device that could project a ray capable of extracting all memories from a victim. Aside from basic motor skills and autonomic nervous function, the victims did not appear to possess any meaningful thought processes or capabilities. The stolen memories would then be recorded onto some form of magnetic tape before being processed for permanent record storage and retrieval. The memories could then be restored to the victim, if so desired. Next, stolen memories could be reviewed on a monitor screen to exploit the subject's knowledge. The Disintegrator Weapon was Sulkar's other key asset, capable of nigh-instantaneously rendering a human being into a small pile of ash. The weapon came in the form of a handheld pistol, bulky but still operable with one hand. While the weapon was utterly ineffective against the Manhunter from Mars, it made short work of Sulkar, when he accidentally fired upon his own person.

Quote: "Sorry Mr. V-- but this is my show-- and I shall play it my way!"

Created by Jack Miller and Joe Certa

2014 Houston Comicpalooza "The Martian Double-Cross!" Robot Vulture Jam Sketch Detail by Chad Townsend

Back to the theme of my being a terrible patron who sits on art pieces for eleven years at a time, I believe that this is my only work from Chad Townsend, so watch me forget that I have another before posting it in 2032. Also as per recent practice, I gave the subject a profile page last week under the title The Vile Menagerie: MANHUNTER'S DOOM. I used the actual story title and dubbed it a robot here, because the tale was exceptionally vague about this thing. Mr. V claims that this creation would be "Manhunter's Doom" at one point, which has a bit more vim than "suitable opponent," but it's a painful reach for a name. The story also never states explicitly that this is an automaton, which might explain how it ended up with a featureless duckbill head shape and runs on fire? Anyway, I'm glad that Townsend made it friendly with that salutation, and worked the fire core into the art. You'll note that he was squeezed into a corner and benhind a larger jam element, so he did a great job working within limited space. This turned out pretty great actually, so hopefully I did get something else that I'll tumble uponm later.

Chad Townsend

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The Vile Menagerie: MANHUNTER'S DOOM

Occupation: "Suitable Opponent"
Group Affiliation: Vulture
Base of Operations: Europe
First Appearance: House of Mystery #170 (October, 1967)
Height: Approx. 15 ft.

History:
After Mr. V had compiled an extensive photographic dossier of Vulture's run-ins with the Manhunter from Mars using hidden cameras, he paid international playboy Marco Xavier to analyze the material to determine Manhunter's weakness. Concluding that Faceless would inevitably come to the same conclusion, the Manhunter, in his Marco Xavier guise, revealed his Martian vulnerability to fire. Within a month, Mr. V tasked his scientists to construct a warrior that would end the threat of the Martian Marvel to his criminal organization. It was then deployed to the estate of Baron du Marchal, a friend of the Manhunter's, whom Xavier had confirmed would host the Martian that week. After a brief struggle, the Alien Atlas disabled the opponent by dumping it into a pool. Despite never managing to seize the Manhunter or use its flame, Mr. V. dismissed his construct and assumed Xavier's conclusion as to the vulnerability was in error.

Powers & Weapons:
The robot's body was made from the same heat-resistant compound as rocket shields, containing a jet burner at its core capable of melting a steel wall. In its head rested a transistorized computer, preset to hold the Manhunter against its body and release the internal flames.

Created by Jack Miller & Joe Certa

2014 Houston Comicpalooza Crime Goliath Monster-Man Vulture Jam Sketch Detail by Johnny J. Segura III

I'd hoped to do a story post of some kind tonight, but I'm still juggling super-involved projects at work and in podcasting, so we'll fall back on another belated art post. I don't feel quite as bad about this one, because Johnny's one of my favorite and most frequested artists to commission, and I have gotten stuff from him since this decade-plus-old detail. Except now that I think about it, I don't think any of that material has been posted by me either, so hopefully he snapped a pic and put it in Snapchat or something. Is Snapchat still a thing? Was it in 2014, even? Speaking of oldies, here's a Monster-Man from a 1967 story that I brought up last week.

Johnny Segura 3rd

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The Vile Menagerie: MONSTER-MAN

Alter Ego: Joe
Occupation: Henchman
Marital Status: Unknown
Known Relatives: Unknown
Group Affiliation: Vulture
Base of Operations: United States
First Appearance: House of Mystery #166 (April, 1967)
Height: Approx. 9'-10'
Eyes: Dark
Hair: Dirty Blond

History:
Once, Vulture developed a molecular-ray that could temporarily transform normal men into hulking man-monsters. The most highly visible subject was an agent simply called Joe, who used his new power to rip open an armored car with his bare hands. Mr. V sought to make the process permanent, and scientists at one of his international labs developed a cylinder that could potentially do the job. However, authorities were aware of the Monster-Man's crime spree and Vulture's plot, so they were on high alert to intercept the cylinder when it entered the United States. Mr. V paid the globe-trotting playboy Marco Xavier for the task, as he would be above suspicion. However, the real Marco Xavier was presumed deceased, and his identity assumed in recent months by the Manhunter from Mars.

The Sleuth from Outer Space raided the hideout where "Xavier" had taken the cylinder, but soon determined that this was but one safehouse, not the location where Vulture was keeping the ray. The Alien Atlas traded blows with Monster-Man for a bit, then feigned defeat in a bid to follow the Vulture agents back to their true headquarters. The plan was wrecked when the Manhunter's former partner Zook crashed the scene, and when his own powers faltered before Monster-Man, the Manhunter blew his ruse to save his other-dimensional pet. Just then the ray wore off, leaving Joe just another Vulture bum taking a concussion nap until the police arrived. Manhunter did eventually find the base, and destroyed the molecular-ray before any more Monster-Men could be produced.

Powers:
Monster-Man displayed incredible strength and durability, especially to Zook's deep freeze power. Yet, it wasn't seemingly in the same class as the Alien Atlas, who easily overcame Monster-Man when so inclined.

Weaknesses:
The Monster-Man is a limited time offer of undefined length, and will swiftly and spontaneously fade once its charge dissipates.

Quote: "I'll take care of this little monkey!"

Created by Jack Miller and Joe Certa

2014 Houston Comicpalooza The Manhunter Monster Vulture Jam Sketch Detail by Chris Foreman

Okay, we're back on "stuff I could have posted eleven years ago." At least I had the foresight to feature one of Chris Foreman's two jam contributions in the year that it was produced, even though that one remains unfinished, whereas this was one of the first that I managed to have completed... so I could sit on it in it's entirety for no good reason. Maybe I was going to run it some October for Halloween because villains or maybe I wanted to do encyclopedia entries for each subject? Motivation lost to time and inertia, I'm afraid. It's a shame too because, on pure technique, this was my favorite of the Foreman pieces I had commissioned (or otherwise posted from online finds.) I just like the energy of the '90s Image feathering.

Anyway, I dubbed this character one of "The Vulture Monsters" when I did a write-up that probably also served as Foreman's reference, but they never had a proper name. When Enrique “Quique” Alcatena drew them, I just referenced the story title "The Manhunter Monster!" I figured to do the same here, referencing the monster's sole comics appearance in House of Mystery #169 (September, 1967.) As you can tell, this image was incorporated into a preexisting collaboration, third in a series, and I expect to get them all online this year. In the meantime, here's some more places on this site and beyond to see his work...

Chris Foreman

• 2010 Martian Manhunter Sketch Card
• 2012 Kishana Lewis Comicpalooza Commission
• 2014 Officer Pat Brady Comicpalooza Jam Sketch Detail
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Action Comics #1042 (June, 2022)

At the abandoned Casino Riviera, the new Faceless asked an oozing green mass on the floor, "Who the hell is J'Onn J'Onzz? Or is it Rita Gonzales today? Or perhaps Albert Schmidt? Who is it you see when you look in the mirror? What is left when your body can hold no form? Do you know? Does anyone?" Most of the story is devoted to J'Onn's absence of self, a partial refutation of the Ostrander series where the multitudes of assumed identities and dutiful time spent with the League are a distraction from the Martian's inability to move past the death of Mars and fully manifest a true, evolving self while living on Earth. Meaning he's been spinning his wheels since at least the end of the Giffen DeMatteis JLI in 1992.

Faceless sent Professor Hugo to fetch the "naplam blood," but the Alien Atlas nigh-instantaneously pulled himself back together, turned invisible and intangible, flew across the room, then stood in place in solid form so that Arnold could bump into him. Just so's you know that none of the villains ever stood a sliver of a chance. The Manhunter then orders the fledgling Vulture chicks to run in their highly reflective featureless golden masks that couldn't ever be confused with the Helm of Nabu. While bashing the adult Vulture committee and Faceless, the Sleuth from Outer Space noted that he'd bested the neuron scrambler by moving his brain to his tongue, biting it off, and reforming. I wasn't on Twitter (more later,) but if the message boards were still up, I could have audibly heard the cries of "overpowered."

After the initial defeat of Vulture, they spent years rebuilding, watching Manhunter from the shadows to eventually exploit some weakness. Because J'Onn only ever lived a ghost of a life, he supposedly had no loved ones to imperil, so that his only vulnerability was his amassing of foes in the years since. So Vulture exploited that by enlisting... only the ones from the old Showcase Presents economical black & white reprints... and Dr. Trap, I guess. Oh, and Faceless is just some guy, I think? A lot of the male characters from this strip look enough alike that it could maybe be that researcher guy at the police station from an earlier chapter, but they make a point of his being "no one," so probably not. I don't care enough to check anyway.

Cops busted in to bag the perps, but the Manhunter bolts to spend the day hanging out with... Zook and Gwen from the museum? J'Onn commits to spending more time being himself with his... friends... like the little girl fan he just met and the random lady that escorted him to a crime scene? Like Harry Callahan at the end of the first of five movies spanning 17 years, J'Onn disposes of his police badge. Did we ever figure out which cop he was in the first place? And his throwing it in the garbage could have been a meaningful critique on police violence, which isn't a topic in this story, so treating it like refuse was merely circumstantial?

"A Face in the Crowd: Part Six" was by Shawn Aldridge and Adriana Melo. I had the option of covering the penultimate and final chapters of the Martian Manhunter serial more or less back-to-back, but wanted to give each installment room to "breathe." Then I got into a fight with a bot on Twitter, who then locked my account, and I refused to budge on anything related to the matter for two months. I was so sick of everything that I was thinking of scrubbing the entire Diabolu Frank identity and moving on with my life. I'm still probably going to delete the Twitter account and just fold any further promotion of this blog into the Rolled Spine Podcasts account, but one of the things I wanted to do first was completing the coverage of this serial.

The other reason I held out was because this story wasn't very good. As fan service, it made me very happy to see so many moribund concepts foundational to J'Onn J'onzz's original solo strip finally recognized and deployed in modern continuity. I believe that I already referred to this story as the Alien Atlas' "Hush," which sucked as a narrative but sang as a showcase for Jim Lee to draw Batman characters. Except Melo isn't Jim Lee, and the art takes a tumble in quality on the final entry. By burning through the old rogues in rapid succession without offering much in the way of revitalization, it simply reinforces the notion that they are disposable and unworthy of further consideration. Any future writer is robbed of the opportunity to shock an audience that "X" has returned after half a century-plus, deadlier than ever. "X" already came back in that Action Comics serial, and they accomplished squat.

Also, like Ostrander, the writer calls something a Zook that has no real similarity to the Silver Age character named Zook. To continue an analogy, that's like introducing Stephanie Brown as the new Bat-Mite. One is a human girl and one is a super-powered otherdimensional imp. There's not a parity there, just mutual diminishment. The little girl by definition can't be the thing she's named for, and the thing that still isn't getting screen time is at best suffering a trademark infringement besides. You can't announce that we're getting a sundae and hand us yogurt. That's just not even what you said you were going to do. Yogurt isn't ice cream drizzled with hot fudge and sprinkled with chopped nuts... maybe some whipped cream and a cherry? Even if there's a little cherry at the bottom of the yogurt, who do you think you're fooling?

I'm used to being disappointed by Martian Manhunter stories, robbing me year after year of motivation to continue blogging and otherwise championing the intellectual property of a soulless, clueless corporation for no reward whatsoever. It was nice to see the familiar faces and names dropped. Wasn't much else to it, however. Also, the part where he forms a fist in the middle of his chest to throw a punch? Blech.

Action Comics #1041 (May, 2022)

Action Comics #1040 (April, 2022)

Lurking outside the first floor Middletown Apartment of J'Onn J'Onzz was Doctor Trap. I feel seen. After nearly a full page of social media baiting cat petting while explicitly referencing Marco Xavier in 1960s Silver Age stories, the trap was sprung. Double Stuff evaded the thermal that detonated when J'Onn reached for their kitty food in the cupboard. J'Onn began melting like he'd been eating The Stuff before the story started while Trapp kicked down the door declaring a "House call." In a tell that makes me think a pass wasn't made at reading the original stories, the two characters exposit Who's Who bulletpoints while Trapp's voice sounds off for the character. Hired to capture the Manhunter, Dr. Trap decided he just had to kill the former Bronze Wraith, just about the time the cat attacks him. Yes, the big fat orange cat bought J'Onn the time to recover, then was safely "caged" in his abdomen.

The point is made between punches that our boy self-identifies as the Martian Manhunter, not Bronze Wraith, Marco Xavier, or even John Jones. Besides being arch and not exactly relevant, I think the one direct punch connecting would have done Doctor Trap in. I'm glad we moved past the untrained stand-ins for classic rogues to the non-powered real deals as an escalation, but like, what exactly was he going to do with that leg trap he kept swinging? His mind can't be read because of an implant by a guy named "Hugo. Funny looking dude. Head four times too big for his body." Trapp had been sent to give J'Onn a message. "If you want this to end, find them at the place you first met." The implant was in Dr. Ttap's jaw, which J'Onn shattered, then telepathically shut him down.

The next day, Certa and Peters investigated a dilapidated mansion property bought eight months prior by the presumed deceased Marco Xavier. Apparently, Ostrander was under concussion protocols from... um... I don't know? There wasn't a car crash last issue. Anyway, they got shot in their necks with tranquilizer darts. Is this comic a 1970s' TV show? Weird installment.

"A Face in the Crowd: Part Four" was by Shawn Aldridge and Adriana Melo. I know that it's a relatively small thing, given that these are only eight page monthly installments, but I'm really glad the creative team on this strip has been consistent. I liked Melo's work on Female Furies, and her mix of quirk and menace has really defined this story for me. I'll be so disappointed and have to track her down at a con for a commission if we don't get to see her Arnold Hugo in this arc. I've timidly dipped my toe into the waters of Shawn Aldridge coverage because, put indelicately, past interviews with previous Manhunter writers have led me to the conclusion that they're a bunch of f***bois. Honeyed words, crappy intentions. I mean, Aldridge even kind of looks like the new Getaway King. But he seemed like a good guy in the podcasts I've heard him on, and he's clearly done the work here. He's not just slapping legacy names on his own creations (well... Zoey...) but clearly knows who all these characters were and could be again to our Martian Marvel.

This really is the closest we'll ever get to a Batman: Hush or a Who is Wonder Woman? where the entire rogues gallery Vile Menagerie turn up in one Batman: The Movie style romp. The Diabolu Idol-Head, Human Flame, Monty Moran, Vulture, Mr. V... I'm not arrogant and I try not to be excessively paranoid, but it definitely feels like somebody's been reading this blog. Or the reference sites that borrowed heavily from here. There's a vague semblance of payoff for all these years of largely thankless effort. But also a bit of wistfulness, as there was always that not-so-secret hope that I'd get to do something like this someday, mixed with gratitude that somebody with actual motivation and any accomplishment within the industry actually did.

Action Comics #1039 (March, 2022)

"Three days ago, I decided to live a more grounded life, connect with my adoptive home and the people I protect. Two days ago, I fought a gig economy knock off of an old adversary. Now I sit across from a thirteen-year-old girl who says she's my biggest fan..." Zoey... "Zook" had watched the break-in, and relayed the details over milkshakes at a Metropolis diner. The waitress, Blu, seemed to be familiar with J'Onn J'Onzz and his Choco-Shakes.

The plainclothes detectives, Lt. Jack Certa and Ostrander, follow Zoey's lead on kids recruited to crime while wearing gold variant Court of Owls facemasks. They stake out the home of a kid named Justin Miller who seemed a prime candidate for the operation. I actually thought the partner was Peters from the first chapter, and it makes clear that a byproduct of diverse representation is that I wouldn't be confusing three different brown-haired white guys that basically all look like me and who all work together. I have to wonder if they're setting up a fake-out with that. Anyway, MISTERTWENTYTWO slid into the kid's DMs, and involved him in Katharsis Aureus, which Ostrander had researched. "It's like Greek or Latin for 'Golden Purify.' And it's kind of the scientific name of vultu'"

The conversation abruptly stops as the cops tail the kid after he exits his home with a packed dufflebag. Following directions on his cell phone, Justin ends up in a white van with dark tinted windows full of men in owl masks. A high speed pursuit follows, the van driver looking like a J. Scott Campbell rogue with an imperial circle beard, his vibrant red hair in a high fade slickback over his flaming neck tattoo. This would be our New 52 Getaway King. I can dig it. "Told ya, bro, no one catches the king." Well, a Martian Manhunter can. "I let the driver escape... for now. He is of no consequence. The kid is the priority." Cue a very special riff on that moment from All-Star Superman. Or maybe "You Are Not Alone." Well, probably not a Michael Jackson number, right?

The Sleuth from Outer Space has no patience for the threatening henchmen for info track when he can just reach into their minds... only to "hear" a voice. "Hello, J'Onn, it's been a long time... Let's call it a telepathic wiretap. Nanotech implants, really. All our operatives have them. You should feel proud, J'Onn. They were designed specifically for you." The voice chides him for not being the detective of old, unable to figure out the riddle before him. Another hint? "What's a kettle? ...It's a circle of... vultures. And vultures, J'Onn... only circle the dead."

"A Face in the Crowd: Part Three" was by Shawn Aldridge and Adriana Melo. Sorry for basically taking the month off, but I was pursing other obsessions. I've been watching Mutant X for podcasting purposes recently, and an episode referenced the "Infantino Hotel" on "Carmine Street" or some such, and it made me think of this strip. I will be seriously surprised if Vulture and the Court of Owls aren't explicitly connected, maybe leading to a continuation in Gotham City? I was going to point out that town will soon be down a Batman, but for all I know, this nostalgia parade is a long goodbye to our own imperiled Alien Atlas in the run-up to "Death of the Justice League".

I confess a shudder at that last page reveal. Excellent line. I guess once Marco Xavier shed the Faceless fat suit, he swore off ever donning it again. In fact, the modern Mr. V is positively anorexic, better reflecting his favorite bird and running counter to the common Kingpin trope of a literal "big man." I did the last write-up in one minimalist steam of transliteration burst. This one was an off-and-on hours long summation. A lot to digest here...

Action Comics #1038 (February, 2022)

The Martian Manhunter told Mrs. Heath to run from this rookie Human Flame, not the original and "first super-villain I ever fought." He made short work of the suit's flame jets with laser vision, as even though this Flame had been told of the Martian vulnerability to fire, he didn't exactly wilt at the sight of birthday candles. The Alien Atlas carried the imposter "ten thousand feet" in the air, then dropped him as an intimidation factor to get the facts. Apparently, telepathy wasn't an option anymore? He'd only met his benefactors once in person, to get the suit. It was all set up on an online forum. They wore white face masks, and had offered him half a million dollars to kill the Manhunter. As least he could still verify the store with his mental powers, seeing only those familiar featureless masks.

Metropolis Police Department Lieutenant Certa was soon knocking on the door of the parent of another teen taken in by the site. He was met at the door by his protesting (and all-too-similar looking) partner, Ostrander, who still believed that there were times when he wasn't on-duty. Sarah Garber's dad didn't know anything about Katharsis Aureus, respect her boundaries. Was he wrong for that?

Back to the Metropolis Museum. "Elements of my past, previously unrelated, now parts of the same puzzle." Shredded bits of white cloth on an air vent to small for a "normal-sized person" to access. In an alley outside, a young girl brown-haired girl in a orange hoodie claimed she'd seen kids perform the break-in. "I kinda patrol this area... Name's Zoey, but most people call me Zook. And you're Martian Manhunter. Big fan."

"A Face in the Crowd: Part Two" was by Shawn Aldridge and Adriana Melo. This is the part where the inevitable tweaks begin. Not my Zook, but better than a flower, at least. Getting used to the quirks of the art, and still appreciating that Pugh vibe. Good fit for the material. I'm calling Ostrander as the bad guy, but that may just be my bias when it comes to the Sleuth from Outer Space.