Stalker (1975) 3

Stalker (1975) 3

Nov 1975

The Freezing Flames of the Burning Isle

by Paul Levitz, Steve Ditko, Wally Wood, Joe Orlando

Stalker travels by boat to the Burnings Isle. A winged demon attacks him on his way there. He is thrown overboard but awakens on the Burning Isle. 

Srani, a beautiful woman, greets him when he awakens. She has lived there for a year since the people of Geranth exiled her there. They thought she was a witch. She has been living off of whatever fruits and berries she can find. He questions why she has not left. She shows him the beast that prevents her from sailing away on her small boat.

Marvel Comics Presents (1988) 19

Marvel Comics Presents (1988) 19

May 1989

Overture

by Dwayne McDuffie, Ernie Colón, Al Williamson, Gregory Wright, Rick Parker

8 pages

John Porter visits Josie’s Joint in Hell’s Kitchen. He is there to sell Josie, the owner and barkeeper, superhero insurance. She is hesitant until Daredevil and Turk get into a fight in her bar and the place gets destroyed. Everything seems lost but then Mrs. Hoag of Damage Control shows up. She wants to hire Porter and has her workers rebuild Josie’s in a matter of minutes.

Criminal (2008) 3

Criminal (2008) 3

Apr 2008

Female of the Species

by Ed Brubaker, Sean Phillips, Val Staples

This is Danica’s story. Gnarly gets mentioned a couple times. Sebastian plays a slightly more prominent role. Teeg does not get a mention. 

This is the story, the full story, of what drove Danica out of town and why she returned. It is the only one of the three installments that goes into any detail about what her life was like for the five years she was away.

Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld (1983) 7

Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld (1983) 7

Nov 1983

The Uninvited 

by Dan Mishkin, Gary Cohn, Ernie Colón, John Costanza, Tom Ziuko, Karen Berger

Citrina and Lord Garnet brief Princess Amethyst about some of the other guests (Lord Aquamarine, Lord and Lady Moonstone, Lady Emerald and her remaining daughter Princess Emerald, Lady Turquoise, Princess Topaz) she we will meet at the wedding of Lady Sapphire and Prince Topaz. Citrina tells them that it is vitally important that they not allow the wedding ceremony to happen. 

Dark Opal uses his magic to kill Lord Topaz from a distance, just before the gathering of royalty begins. A doppelgänger of Lord Topaz talks to Prince Topaz. He insists that his “son” must proceed with the wedding.

Stalker (1975) 2

Stalker (1975) 2

Sep 1975

Darkling Death at World’s End Sea

by Paul Levitz, Steve Ditko, Wally Wood, Joe Orlando

Stalker arrives at World’s End Sea. A demon bars him from approaching the shrine to Dgrth but Stalker slays the demon and approaches the shrine. He sneaks in and tries to blend in with the priests in the hopes of getting his hands on Prior F’lan. Stalker is found out and attacked. He fights back but a blow to the back of his head knocks him out. 

Stalker wakes up in chains. Merilla, a servant in the temple comes to see him. She gives him a knife and some knowledge which proves useful. She asks in return that he take her with him when he leaves.

Criminal (2008) 2

Criminal (2008) 2

Mar 2008

A Wolf Among Wolves

by Ed Brubaker, Sean Phillips, Val Staples

Teeg Lawless returned home in 1972 after two tours of duty in the war in Vietnam. The war changed him. He came home scarred on the inside. He owed two grand to Barber, a crime boss, when he left. He now owes Barber fifteen grand with all the interest that accumulated while he was gone.

Barber gives him two weeks to pay up. It isn’t enough. Teeg gets desperate and robs the wrong people. He makes a deal with Hamsunn, owner of the Undertown, and Danica, one of the waitresses, who put him on to the opportunity. He will do the job with his friend Willy and cut them in for a share. 

Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld (1983) 6

Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld (1983) 6

Oct 1983

Last Goodbyes 

by Dan Mishkin, Gary Cohn, Ernie Colón, John Costanza, Tom Ziuko, Karen Berger

Amethyst takes Amy’s parents home, transforms back into Amy, and explains to them what’s been going on. They tell her about how they lost the child they were supposed to have and how Citrina brought her to them.

Amethyst returns to Gemworld, to Castle Amethyst, unsure of when she will get a chance to return to Earth. She learns that days have passed (in Gemworld) in the hours since she last saw Granch. He left with his siblings to make war with Dark Opal. 

Amethyst wants to catch up to Granch and the others but Citrina talks her into staying at Castle Amethyst and training. She trains for days in archery, tracking, combat, tactics, and strategy. She gets a visit from Lord Garnet who brings her a winged horse. He tells her about the wedding of Lady Sapphire and Prince Topaz, which is just days away. 

Stalker (1975) 1

Stalker (1975) 1

Jul 1975

Quest for a Stolen Soul

by Paul Levitz, Steve Ditko, Wally Wood, Joe Orlando

A nameless boy lives a tough, hard scrabble life in a medieval world. He abandons home and lives on the streets until by chance he crosses paths with the Baroness of Loranth. He pledges himself to her cause if she will make him a warrior in her service. She accepts his offer but double-crosses him.

He works for a year as a slave in Castle Loranth before another chance meeting with the Baroness gives him the opportunity to air his grievances. She sicks her guards on him but he escapes and makes his way back to Geranth, where he was born.

Criminal (2008) 1

Criminal (2008) 1

Feb 2008

Second Chance in Hell

by Ed Brubaker, Sean Phillips, Val Staples

Gnarly Brown’s father almost killed Walter Hyde, father of Sebastian Hyde, in 1954. Walter talked Clevon Hyde out of killing him and into forming a partnership, of sorts. They went on a tear and before long were major players in town. Clevon was officially Walter’s driver and bodyguard but behind closed doors he was his righthand man.

Gnarly grew up with Sebastian. They were friends up to a point. Something drove them apart. Someone drove them apart, Danica Briggs. Gnarly and Sebastian weren’t friends like they used to be but Gnarly understood the score. He kept his emotions in check until 1972 when Danica returned.

Danica broke his heart in 1967 when she picked Sebastian over Gnarly. She had her hooks into Sebastian but Walter wasn’t going to have her become part of his family. Danica returned in 1972 to try and play a different sort of game. Once again she lost but this time the stakes were higher.

Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld (1983) 5

Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld (1983) 5

Sep 1983

Battlegrounds!

by Dan Mishkin, Gary Cohn, Ernie Colón, John Costanza, Tom Ziuko, Karen Berger

Granch fights with his brothers. He recovers the shard of amethyst that he lost and uses it to transport himself and his siblings to Princess Amethyst’s location. 

Amy Winston goes to school. She notices Rita, one of her classmates, wearing an opal around her neck and wonders about a possible connection between Rita and Dark Opal. Amy is involuntarily transformed into Princess Amethyst, in the middle of class, just as a portal opens up and Granch and his brethren arrive in the classroom. 

X-Men Annual 6

X-Men Annual 6

1982

Blood Feud!

by Chris Claremont, Bill Sienkiewicz, Bob Wiacek, Tom Orzechoski, Glynis Wein, Louise Jones

Dracula visits Bard College where he finds Rachel Van Helsing. She is taken by surprise. She thought he had been destroyed once and for all.

Kitty Pryde throws a tantrum. She is heartbroken over the divorce of her parents. The other X-Men try to console her without success.

Ororo has problems of her own. She has a nightmare about Dracula that involves her teammates.  She sees herself biting the other X-Men and then fleeing to join her lover, Dracula. She is disturbed by the dream and decides that she must leave. 

Secret Origins (1986) 7 (2)

Secret Origins (1986) 7

Oct 1986

The Secret Origin of the Golden Age Sandman

by Roy and Dann Thomas, Mike Bair, Steve Montano, Carl Gafford, David Cody Weiss, Robert Greenberger

Wesley Dodds decides to start wearing a costume and fight crime around the time that the 1939 World’s Fair opens in New York City. He is concerned for the safety of the King and Queen of England who are soon to arrive n New York City. His concerns are motivated in part by the recent appearance of the Phantom of the Fair and the Crimson Avenger. Dodds suspects the two might be working together. 

Dodds interferes with an attempt by the Phantom of the Fair to assassinate the royal couple. The Phantom of the Fair gets some help from Elektro, a giant robot. Dodds (aka the Sandman) gets some help from the Crimson Avenger. Sandman isn’t reassured that the Crimson Avenger is lined up on the right side of the fight until he learns that the Crimson Avenger's secret identity is Lee Travis, his old college friend. 

The two mystery men thwart the Phantom of the Fair’s efforts to kill the king and queen but the villain escapes at the end of the story.