Heroic Halloween in Rutland JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA "A Stranger Walks Among Us!" Conclusion

We Have Already Seen...

Note: Look at the tombstone on this moody Nick Cardy cover! Black Canary's name is partially-concealed by the dirt! Was she initially supposed to be in this issue?

The Phantom Stranger gathers the Justice League to stop their old enemy, magician Felix Faust, from summoning a host of demons on Halloween at a magical nexus at Rutland, Vermont.

But Faust manages to free the demons, who possess cosplaying parade-goers, giving them the powers and abilities of the heroes and heroines they're costumed as!

Green Arrow and Hawkman are defeated by "Adam Strange", "Supergirl", and (ahem) the shield-slinging "Commando America".

Then The Phantom Stranger appears...

This is pre-Superman vs Spider-Man and other DC/Marvel crossover tales!
The Batman is aware "Webslinger" is fictional in the DC Multiverse!

Superman is battling a cosplayer dressed as the Golden Age (SHAZAM!) Captain Marvel!

DC didn't re-introduce the character (who hadn't appeared in comics for almost 20 years) until several months after this story, so they couldn't refer to him by name at this point!

Did Cap actually say "SHAZAM!", or another incantation?

We'll never know!

Well, Glynis is back!

We never get to find out how Len Wein (who wrote this tale) felt about his wife actually having the powers of Supergirl...for a while...or if he had her wear the costume at home...later!

For completists among you, Dick Dillin penciled and Dick Giordano inked the story. Though DC wouldn't introduce colorist credits until a couple of years later, it's believed Glynis Wein likely colored the story, making her the only comics creative to work on all three stories in the trilogy!

Two things to note.

Steve's car (and its' lack of a muffler) will prove fateful in our concluding story!

Glynis, the writing trio, and Tom Fagan will also appear!

As to who the final tale features...well, I never could resist a bit for foreshadowing, so be here...
...TOMORROW...
...for some back story about the final tale in our trilogy!
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Bronze Age Omnibus
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The only color reprint of this tale...ever!
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Heroic Halloween in Rutland JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA "A Stranger Walks Among Us!" Part 1

We're about to re-tell the story you saw last week...

...but from a different perspective...not to mention a different comics company!!

The Batman had encountered the The Phantom Stranger in the pages of The Brave and the Bold.
Felix Faust is a longtime JLA enemy who utilizes actual magic against the heroes' scientific weapons and abilities!

Speaking of encounters, here are the real-life comics creatives we met previously!

writers Steve Englehart (balding blonde), Gerry Conway (long brown hair), Len Wein (goatee), and colorist Glynis Wein (only woman in the group).

Note the junk-heap they're driving!

It plays a role in this and the other remaining story!

And watch out for Glynis!
She's...nah... no "spoilers"!

The Batman was here last Halloween, and he knows a few locals...

...like Parade organizer Tom Fagan (now in a Batman costume)!
Len Wein mentions "Julie", aka Julie Schwartz, long-time DC Comics editor, and editor of JLA...which Len happens to write...including this story!

At this point in the previous tale, Glynis Wein (costumed as "Powergirl/Supergirl") disappeared, the Juggernaut attacked the Parade, and Steve, Len and Gerry went to look for her...

We found Glynis!
Unfortunately, she's demon-possessed and has the real Supergirl's powers!
Note "Commando America" has a painted trash can lid for a "shield", but he sure can utilize it like the "Star-Spangled Avenger" he's dressed as!

Will the enigmatic Phantom Stranger aid the two heroes just clobbered by cosplaying (albeit demon-possessed) comic book fans (and a comic book pro)?
Which characters will the remaining Justice Leaguers encounter?
(Hint, there are more non-DC characters lurking about...including one who was about to become a DC Comics character!)
How will Len feel about being married to a woman who can bend steel in her bare hands?
The answers to some of these questions will be found here...
TOMORROW!
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Justice League of America
Bronze Age Omnibus
Volume 1
The only color reprint of this tale...ever!
(The other one is black and white)

Heroic Halloween in Rutland THE BEAST "...and the Juggernaut Will Get You...if You Don't Watch Out!" Conclusion

We Have Already Seen...

...Henry McCoy, aka the X-Men's Beast passing through Rutland on his way to Canada on a vital mission.

He meets several comic book professionals who have arrived for the annual Halloween Parade, which features participants dressed as superheroes!

Unfortunately, long-time X-Men foe Juggernaut is also there, projected from a mystical dimension he had been exiled to, due to the supernatural properties inherent to the Rutland area as shown in the previous year's Marvel Feature #2 when the dread Dormammu tried to sacrifice Dr Strange on a nearby mountaintop on Halloween (long story we won't get into here)!

When the Juggernaut appears, Hank becomes The Beast to stop him...

Real-life Parade organizer and party host Tom Fagan appears in almost all Rutland-themed comics, dressed as Nighthawk (if it's a Marvel book) or Batman (if it's a DC book).

You'll see him in this trilogy again!

The two blondes in panel 2 are Marvel's own writer/editor Roy Thomas and writer Jeanie Thomas, who appeared in both the previous Marvel Rutland comics.

To clear up several things...

The Juggernaut got better, and returned...and returned...and returned!

(You can't keep a classic baddie down!)

Hank did get to Canada, where his expertise helped save the world!

But those are stories for another time and blog...

OTOH, keep an eye on Steve's beat-up jalopy, which plays a role in the remaining tales!
And, Glynis did have a rather exciting time while she was separated from the guys, as you'll see...

NEXT MONDAY!

Hint: It has to do with her wearing a Supergirl costume!

Seriously!

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X-MEN

Volume 7

Heroic Halloween in Rutland THE BEAST "...and the Juggernaut Will Get You...if You Don't Watch Out!" Part 1

We presented some basic info HERE, so read that before you begin this trilogy of terror!

Don't worry, there'll also be footnotes as we go along...

The three real-world comic writers we see here are Steve Englehart (balding blonde), Gerry Conway (long brown hair) and Len Wein (goatee), as well as Len's wife Glynis (whose real-life counterpart colored this story)!

In-joke: the real-life Steve Englehart had been writing The Beast's strip for the last five issues (as well as this story), so it's not unreasonable for "Marvel Universe Steve" to find Hank McCoy "familiar"!

Glynis is dressed as DC's Supergirl, which figures into the storyline in the other tales in the trilogy!

Also Marvel had to modify her costume insignia from "S" to "G" for legal reasons.

And on that ominous note, we end the first part of this re-presentation!
The explanation for Glynis' disappearance is in another of the stories in this trilogy.

Written by Steve Englehart, panciled by Bob Brown, and inked by Frank McLaughlin (with caricatures of the real-life comics creators by Marie Severin), this tale will conclude...

TOMORROW!

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Volume 7

Rutland Vermont...Where Fiction and Reality Meet...on Halloween!

Our contribution to the Annual Countdown to Halloween blogathon features Rutland, Vermont...a town where, for decades, the Halloween parade featured participants dressed as superheroes!

But, beginning in 1970, comic books began a Halloween tradition of their characters visiting the town to battle various threats both super-scientific and supernatural!

First came Marvel's Mighty Avengers...

...followed in 1971 by DC's The Batman and Robin, the Teen Wonder...

...as well as Marvel's Defenders...

...in unrelated stories, though all the characters were at the same parade!

Then, in 1972, three comic writers, Len Wein, Steve Englehart, and Gerry Conway did a three-title crossover featuring characters in a Rashamon-like story involving characters telling the same events at the Rutland Halloween Parade from different points of view!

Now here's the kool part...the books were from different comics companies, but they all told the same story with overlapping characters, as well as the writers themselves, appearing in all three books!

Though it doesn't matter what order you read them in, we're re-presenting them in this order...

Marvel's Amazing Adventures #16, featuring the X-Men's own blue-furred Beast on October 4th-5th!

DC's Justice League of America #103 on October 11th-12th!

Marvel's Mighty Thor #207 on October 18th-19th!

Plus a surprise on October 25th-26th!

You're not going to miss history in the making as we show this almost 50-year old crossover between DC and Marvel which has never been presented as one complete package...are you?
Start Reading...
NOW!!!