Defenders of the Earth #1, Conclusion

Defenders of the Earth#1
January, 1987
STAR (Marvel) Comics
Cover: Alex Saviuk/ Fred Fredericks
Script: Stan Lee (With Bob Harras)
Pencils/Inks: Alex Saviuk/ Fred Fredericks












I'm not saying ALex Saviuk swiped from George Perez (although who wouldn't?) but there is a striking similarity between that first panel on p. 19 and a certain famous cover...

Defenders of the Earth #1

Defenders of the Earth#1
January, 1987
STAR (Marvel) Comics
Cover: Alex Saviuk/ Fred Fredericks
Script: Stan Lee (With Bob Harras)
Pencils/Inks: Alex Saviuk/ Fred Fredericks

What can I say about this? It seems like a brilliant idea for a team book. Flash Gordon, The Phantom, Mandrake the Magician and Lothar... And the creative team on this book is an amazing lineup. The script was by Stan "The Man" Lee, the pencils were by Spiderman Daily (and future Moonstone Phantom) artist Alex Saviuk with inks by Mandrake artist Fred Fredericks! Why are these usually solo heroes drawn together as a team? Because the Earth is threatened by Flash Gordon's old nemesis, the diabolical Ming the Merciless!! I'm sure anyone who saw this on paper would have thought it was a home run. But it's lousy.

For one thing, Marvel published this through their new children's label, STAR Comics. The Phantom doesn't even have his guns in this. But don't worry, they gave him some sort of "Jungle Lore" powers.

For another, the heroes are paired up with their children. And, if a bunch of badly written children weren't lame enough to crush your hopes that this was going to be a cool team book, there's Zuffy. Zuffy is a small, cute, purple alien creature so toyetic I'm surprised he's not advertised on the back of this comic instead of Popples.

Also, for some reason, Ming is green and has exaggeratedly pointed ears. I have my suspicions that somewhere along the way, it was discussed that the Emperor of Mongo looked a little too Asian the way Alex Raymond presented him. At the Time Flash Gordon debuted, "Yellow Menace" villains like Fu Manchu and The Yellow Claw were in vogue. Ming was never a charicature like the Claw, but I bet someone felt somebody somewhere might find him offensive.

At any rate, I found this issue in my never-ending quest for more Phantom comics and I'm putting it up here for you to read and judge for yourself. So, with all due apologies in advance here's part one of Defenders of the Earth #1:

Just Another Mandrake Monday- "The Cape Cod Caper"

Mandrake The Magician#5
May, 1967
King Comics
Cover: Fred Fredericks
Script: Uncredited
Pencils/Inks: Ray Bailey

Mandrake takes a page from The Phantom in this story and puts his skills to work battling pirates!
















I'm not exactly sure how a post-hypnotic suggestion could give a pirate telepathy, but I love that Mandrake sees the message like a home movie!

On an historical note: Henry Morgan WAS a pirate. However, he was also frequently a privateer, a sort of legal pirate, licensed to take enemy ships and towns in a time of war. Morgan was taken to England to be tried for his piracies and was instead knighted and appointed as the governor of Jamaica. So, the idea that he "failed" is pretty laughable.

Sadly, Sir Henry never quite adapted to civilized life. He became bored and depressed as Governor and turned to drinking. I have always found it painfully ironic that a man who drank himself to death has a brand of rum named after him. Tasty, tasty rum.

On a biological note, Moby Dick was a sperm whale. Sperm whales have teeth, not baleen.

Just Another Mandrake Monday

Mandrake The Magician#5
May, 1967
King Comics
Cover: Fred Fredericks
Script: Uncredited
Pencils/Inks: Ray Bailey

Nothing says 1967 quite like a mix of space travel and international politics. Unless , of course, it would be an uber-theatrical magician and his hulking African sidekick!