Heroic Halloween in Rutland MIGHTY THOR "Firesword!" Part 1

Let's Begin the Final Chapter of the "Rutland Trilogy"...right at the Parade!

Note the presence of our four comic creatives, writers Steve Englehart (balding blonde), Gerry Conway (long brown hair), Len Wein (curly hair and goatee) and colorist Glynis Wein (do we have to tell you, the only woman in the group?).
Also note the real Justice League on the float directly behind the "Avengers'" float!

Steve's noisy car will play a pivotal role at the climax of this tale, as it did in the previous one.
And Parade organizer/comics uber-fan Tom Fagan is back in his NightHawk costume!

We see Loki back in disguise after revealing himself to The Absorbing Man at the end of our previous post!

"Who ever heard of Power Girl anyway?"

Well, nobody, since DC's Power Girl (the Supergirl of Earth-Two) wouldn't debut until four years later!

(BTW, she was co-created by Gerry Conway!)

Glynis is costumed as Supergirl, though they couldn't call her that in a Marvel book!

When she disappears, she'll be possessed by a demon and do battle with the Justice League!

Love him or loathe him, you gotta admit the trickster god knows how to make an entrance!

But, to find out what happens next, you'll have to be back...

TOMORROW!

BTW, the Absorbing Man, like most villains, survived this setback and is still creating havoc throughout the Marvel Universe!

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Heroic Halloween in Rutland "Rebirth!"

Technically, this material you're about to read is not part of the almost-mythical "Rutland Trilogy"!
But, since it "sets up" the situation for the final chapter, I'm including it as a prelude to the actual issue which you'll see on Monday!

Crusher Creel aka The Absorbing Man, is a long-time Marvel villain.

We now jump ahead a number of pages...

(The first panel is blurred because it really has nothing to do with this situation, but if I PhotoShopped it out, the page would look weird.)

Once more we see real-life Halloween Parade organizer and comics uber-fan Tom Fagan...

(On this page, I simply cut the bottom 2/3rds off since it has nothing to do with this particular plotline!)

We now jump ahead to the end of the story, as The Absorbing Man arrives in Rutland... 

You knew all along who it was, didn't you?

You've now seen how writer Gerry Conway and penciler John Buscema set the stage in Marvel's Mighty Thor #206 (1972) for the conclusion of the Rutland Trilogy!

Note: while DC sometimes did two, three, and occasional multi-part stories (such as the never-reprinted Silver-Age "Death of Superman" we presented HERE), those were the exceptions rather than the rule.

Marvel, on the other hand, was noted for serialized storylines that could go on for a year or more!

You will be here on Monday for the finale, right?

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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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!
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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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