THE MARVELOUS AWARDS!!
SUPPORTING CAST AWARDS
It’s been a long time since I’ve added to this blog, and I could tell you that the entire time I was away, I did nothing but comb through the Marvel Comics of 1964 to find the very best nominees and winners for the Awards that are about to follow. And if I told you that, it wouldn’t be true. Preparing for these Awards does take a lot of time, but not actually that much. You know how life gets: one thing after another, and sometimes you get a little tired, or lazy, or whatever. There’s really no excuse for my being away from this blog for so long. But I’ve taken a deep breath, and I think it’s time to come back. And what better way to come back, than with a series of Awards, one installment each week for the next seven weeks!
Right before I went on this extended break, I had just finished reading the comics of 1964. And there is so much ground to cover in the active Marvel year of 1964! So where should we begin? Same as last time, I think, with Supporting Characters. The premise is that we’re starting at the bottom and working our way up—but don’t tell that to any of these supporting characters, who actually bring so much to the table, vibrantly fleshing out the hero vs. villain core of the comics world, which, frankly, would be rather boring without all the personality and soap opera provided by these peripheral players.
And so! Let us now begin the epic undertaking known as the 2nd Annual Marvelous Awards!
NEW KID ON THE BLOCK: BEST NEW SUPPORTING CHARACTER
Behind every great superhero, there’s a great supporting cast. Old friends are gold, but the new ones are one of the best things about the Silver Age of Marvel Comics. Which new supporting cast member will win the coveted title?
In the category of New Kid on the Block: Best New Supporting Character, the nominees are…
- Foggy Nelson, long-suffering law partner to Daredevil’s alter-ego, Matt Murdock
- Karen Page, attractive and sympathetic secretary to the aforementioned Nelson and Murdock
- Maj. Glenn Talbot, the latest major pain in the you-know-what to long-suffering scientist Bruce Banner, and his alter ego, the Hulk
And the Award goes to…
Glenn Talbot! Though Talbot has only recently appeared, he’s planning to provide no end of trouble for Bruce Banner. Foggy, frankly, is little more than office wallpaper at this point. And Karen, though attractive and sympathetic, has not yet brought anything new to the table beyond what we’ve already seen from other unrequited love interests (think: Jane Foster, Betty Brant, Pepper Potts). Things may brighten up in Daredevil’s corner of the Marvel Universe, but right now, no one’s stirring the pot quite like Major Talbot!
MOST SUPPORTIVE SUPPORTING CHARACTER
But hold on, Ms. Page! You may yet have your turn, as we turn now to the Most Supportive Supporting Character award, granted to that supporting character who goes above and beyond to show commitment and devotion to their star players.
In the category of Most Supportive Supporting Character, the nominees are…
- Karen Page, for writing a letter to an eye specialist in hopes of getting her blind boss an appointment that could lead to the restoration of his sight
- May Parker, for constantly nagging nephew Peter (in the most loving way possible, of course) to take his vitamins, wear a sweater and get plenty of rest. She’s a never-ending source of love and devotion, particularly when she gives an ailing Peter “The Gumption Speech.”
- Happy Hogan, for risking his life not once, not twice, but at least three times in repeated shows of extreme devotion to boss Tony Stark
And the Award goes to…
Aunt May. Though Karen’s heart is in the right place, anyone can write a letter. True, Happy seems willing to make the supreme sacrifice, but at the same time, I wonder how much of his performance is merely a machismo attempt to impress Pepper. Aunt May, however, is so consistently insistent on making sure Peter stays on the right track. And honestly, you just can’t beat that Gumption Speech.
SIDEKICK WITH THE BIGGEST KICK
When is a supporting character more than a supporting character? When they’re a sidekick! Sidekicks are just like real people—or, real comic book characters, anyway—except for one thing: While enjoying an exceptionally close affinity to their designated Alpha, they pretty much have no life of their own. If we didn’t have heroes and villains, there would be no need for sidekicks. With that in mind, it’s easy to see why a sidekick needs to have a BIG KICK! So, let’s take a look at our short list of nominees.
In the category of Sidekick with the Biggest Kick, the nominees are…
- Rick Jones. Not only does he spend a good deal of time nursing Banner back to health after so many Hulkish episodes, but he also trains with Captain America, perfecting the art of Judo so that he’s actually pretty handy in a fight.
- The Teen Brigade. Sidekicks galore! But they function together as a seamless unit to provide whatever is needed at the moment.
- Toad. Though Toad is nowhere near as useful as Rick Jones or the Teen Brigade, absolutely no other character in the Marvel Universe surpasses him for complete devotion to the master.
And the Award goes to…
Rick Jones! Mr. Jones serves as the most traditional sidekick, akin to a DC Comics sidekick, a la Batman’s Robin or Green Arrow’s Speedy. Where would Banner or Cap be, and what would they do, if Rick Jones had not driven his jalopy into that restricted military zone during a gamma bomb test? And let’s face it. Without Rick, there wouldn’t even be a Teen Brigade. As for Toad, his overwhelming loyalty and devotion to Magneto is amply balanced by his complete lack of any other redeeming qualities. Though many Marvel readers of 1964 may well have over-identified with Rick Jones, or imagined themselves an unseen member of the Teen Brigade, I doubt anyone at any time has ever felt an affinity to Toad.
SUB-PAR SUBORDINATES AWARD
Sometimes it seems the hero succeeds because his adversary isn’t always that adversarial. Super-villains, even those who are up to snuff, often employ an army of minions to do their dirty work. And nearly as often, those minions prove less than adequate.
In the category of Sub-Par Subordinates, the nominees are…
- The Enforcers, for their easy round-up and capture in Amazing Spider-Man #19
- Namor’s undersea army, who, in Fantastic Four #27, are easily juggled like so much fruit by the ever-lovin’ Thing
- The alien Air Force of Tales to Astonish #49 that Giant-Man lassos and twists around a skyscraper, like so much string played with by an adorable kitten
And the Award goes to…
Namor’s Undersea Army! Mostly because Thing just seems to be having too much fun.
GLOATING ANTAGONIST AWARD
Not all antagonists are super-villains. Sometimes an antagonist is…just an antagonist. And if there’s one thing an antagonist can do well, it’s GLOAT. A good gloat can go a long way to escalate the dramatic enjoyment of any story. Let’s take a quick look at some of Marvel’s most boastful gloaters of 1964.
In the category of Gloating Antagonist, the nominees are…
- Hard-boiled Gen. “Thunderbolt” Ross
- High school bully Flash Thompson
- Media mogul J. Jonah Jameson
And the Award goes to…
Jameson, of course. Hands down. The example above is not the only time Jameson gloats about Spidey’s misfortune, but it may be the best (at least, so far). If you look up the word “gloat” in the dictionary, Jameson’s big stupid grin will be there, staring right back at you.
MOST AUTOCRATIC ODIN MOMENT
Superheroes aren’t the only leaders in the Marvel Universe. Most notably, the Asgardian All-Father Odin rules with an ego and tenacity unlike any other in the known Universe. His commanding presence and no-nonsense approach to…well…everything, makes him worthy of his very own award.
So many to choose from! In the category of Most Autocratic Odin Moment the nominees are…
- In Journey Into Mystery #100, Odin’s denial of Thor’s petition to make Jane Foster an immortal
- From Avengers #7, the banishment of the Executioner and Enchantress to…of all places (gasp!) the planet Earth
- In Journey Into Mystery #108, the electrical storm pitched in a hissy-fit, when Thor does not immediately answer Odin’s summons
- The Journey Into Mystery #104 punishment of erring son Loki
- Odin’s angry banishment of Thor from Asgard depicted in a spectacular burst of yellow and black, in Journey Into Mystery #110
And the Award goes to…
Odin’s petty and overemotional reaction to his son basically not answering his cell phone. It’s okay to be annoyed when someone is ignoring you, but it is not okay to threaten harm which you can do as a result of your lofty political position.
THE OLD-TIMERS AWARD, OR…MOST AGED AND DECREPIT
Popular wisdom suggests that with great age comes great wisdom, and the Marvel Universe is no exception to this trope. However, in an overwhelming desire to get the point across, some of Marvel’s wise ones are depicted as well past their expiration date.
In the category of Most Aged And Decrepit, the nominees are…
- The Ancient One, from Dr. Strange’s mystical side of the Marvel Universe. Even his name suggests he’s campaigning hard for the award!
- Aunt May, who actually appears more a grandmother than an aunt. No, make that a great… great grandmother!
- Odin, father of all!
All good choices!
But the Award goes to…
Aunt May! The Ancient One is a wizard, and he may in fact be really, really old, and Odin is probably hundreds, if not thousands of years old. As old as they are, both of them look pretty good! But how old is Aunt May? She’s Peter’s aunt, but she looks like his great, great grandmother. And she has no mystical powers or otherworldly influences; she’s just an ordinary human being, but she keeps on kicking. But you know what? For as old as she looks, she still gives a pretty good gumption speech.
MOST CLUELESS SUPPORTING CAST MEMBER
Heroes are smart. We all know that. But sometimes the people those heroes surround themselves with are…to be kind…not so smart. In fact, there’s a disturbing trend in Marvel Comics of some supporting cast members presenting themselves as absolutely clueless.
But which one will take the prize? In the category of Most Clueless Supporting Cast Member, the nominees are…
- Betty Brant, who, in Amazing Spider-Man #14 frets about her high school beau Peter dating Hollywood starlets, when he’s actually out fighting Green Goblin and the Enforcers.
- And here’s Aunt May again! Isn’t she so quaint and clueless in Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1?
- And then, you gotta love these Tales to Astonish #57 cops for their utter naiveté.
- Parents sometimes don’t really want to know what’s going on with their kids. Perhaps none so much as Mr. and Mrs. Grey in X-Men #5.
- Finally, in Journey Into Mystery #110, poor Jane Foster is just trying to get Donald Blake to take her out to dinner, when, unbeknownst to her…
And the Award goes to…
Yikes! It’s a tough choice, but I have to give this award to Mr. and Mrs. Grey. Betty is simply an insecure female letting her imagination run away with her, and Jane finds herself in a similar situation, dreaming of a candlelit dinner, rather than paying attention to the super-villain about to snatch her away. Of course, one generally doesn’t anticipate super-villains sliding in through an open window of your otherwise safe and secure place of employment, so I’ll give Jane a pass on this one. And speaking of employment, those cops are basically puffing out their chests and putting on their best machismo. All in a day’s work…right? As for Aunt May, in a way you can’t blame her for looking past Doc Ock’s ungainly arms, since he is, in fact, serving her coffee and danish, which under any other circumstances would constitute a rather charming host. But Jean’s parents…oh, Jean’s parents…they should know better. Really. I don’t care if it IS 1964. When your teenage daughter is the only girl in an otherwise all-boys school, and the headmaster is nowhere to be found, bells and whistles should be going off in your head. I don’t care how charmingly Professor X presented himself while recruiting young Jean for a “free scholarship” at his mysterious and exclusive school. There’s no excuse for believing high school classes are classified as Top Secret by the government. In fact, there’s no excuse for these parents thinking anything about their teenage daughter’s current situation is normal or OKAY.
Okay. I spent way too much time on that one. Let’s move on.
BEST CAMEO
Who can resist a good cameo appearance? They usually come as a surprise, and don’t detract too much from the action. They’re just fun. When it comes to cameo appearances, 1964 did not fare as well as previous years, but let’s look at a few that are worth mentioning.
In the category of Best Cameo, the nominees are…
- A myriad of historical and mythical bad guys are summoned by Immortus in Avengers #10 to fight each Avenger
- In Fantastic Four #22, a police officer looks suspiciously like Officer Francis Muldoon from TV’s Car 54, Where Are You?
- And…ahhh! The ever-popular World’s Fair Globe, seen here in Strange Tales #123
And the Award goes to…
the mythical and historical figures of Avengers #10, for providing so many cameo appearances on such a frugal amount of newsprint. In the interest of getting more bang for your buck, you can’t beat the rapid-fire boom Boom BOOM of Paul Bunyan, Ghengis Khan, Goliath, Hercules and Merlin the Wizard.
SUSPICIOUS MINDS
In 1969, Elvis Presley will sing about Suspicious Minds. You remember the song:
♪ We can’t go on together
With suspicious minds
And we can’t build our dreams
On suspicious minds… ♪
Yes, it is difficult to go on after suspicions have been aroused. Which makes me wonder where Marvel Comics is going with the following situations. Supporting cast members appear nearly on the verge of discovering the highly classified secrets of the most secretive superheroes.
In the category of Suspicious Minds, the nominees are…
- In Daredevil #3, Karen briefly ponders the similarity between superhero Daredevil and the red-headed attorney she has a crush on. Could it be…?
- Loyal employees Pepper Potts and Happy Hogan don’t exactly believe Iron Man when, in Tales of Suspense #59, he tells them boss Tony Stark left the office unexpectedly through a secret exit after an unexplained illness.
- And finally, Maj. Talbot and Gen. Ross seem to be on to something in Tales to Astonish #61…
The stage is set for future drama!
But for right now, the Award goes to…
Pepper Potts and Happy Hogan, for rightfully distrusting the mysterious Iron Man, who never reveals his identity, yet seems to know everything about Tony Stark. Kudos to the Marvel Bullpen, for conveying their level of misgivings by placing the doubts of their suspicious minds in sketchy “whisper balloons.”
GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
And finally, we must sadly deal with the fact that not all supporting characters are granted a lifetime contract with Marvel Comics. In the interest of melodrama, a number of our fair friends have been stricken from the page. Stricken, I say, as in struck down, but not down and out, as they will always live in our memories.
In the category of Gone But Not Forgotten, let us pay tribute as we fondly recall the following who are no longer with us.
- In Tales of Suspense #52, Soviet scientist Anton Vanko sacrifices his life to prove his loyalty to his new nation, the good old USA.
- Dr. Franklin Storm also makes the supreme sacrifice in Fantastic Four #32, as he throws himself on a bomb, in order to save the lives of his children.
- And last but not least, who can forget the dearly departed mother of Doctor Doom, in Fantastic Four Annual #2?
And our final Award of the evening goes to…
Doom’s mother. Interestingly, she is not specifically pictured in any 1964 comic, but somehow that makes her case even stronger. Because she is gone, but not forgotten; she serves as the driving force behind all that motivates one of Marvel’s strongest villains. Had Victor von Doom’s mother not been murdered, perhaps he would have been able to recover from the unscrupulous death of his father. But instead, he finds himself alone in the world, a lonely and angry young boy, consumed with a desire for revenge. And because Doom’s mother dabbled in the dark arts, young Victor takes comfort in these activities as well. In fact, could we not say that young Doom inherited the tendency? Mother von Doom’s influence shall be felt well beyond the grave, as we move forward through 1964 and beyond, in the Marvel Universe.
Well, that about wraps it up for this installment of the Marvelous Awards. But speaking of Doom and his villainous ways serves as the perfect segue for me to invite you back next week at this same time, as we delve deeper into the very best of the very worst of the Marvel Universe—the Super-Villain Awards! I’m sure that’s one you won’t want to miss, so until next time, have a simply MARVELOUS week!
Welcome back, Chrissy! Good to see you posting again.
Poor Foggy, though. He never gets any respect. 🙂
And yes, Aunt May’s gumption speech is pretty great.
First, let me add my own “welcome back”. I’ve missed your blog.
You’ve mentioned Dr. and Mrs. Gray’s lack of concern about their daughter, Jean, being the only girl among four hormone-charged teen-age boys. While that never occurred to me back in the day (and being on the spear-side of things, it probably wouldn’t have at all, until you brought it up). But certainly one would have expected to see Mrs. Gray having that “Boys have only one thing on their minds” talk with Jean, while Dr. Gray made sure Scott, Hank, Warren, and Bobby knew about that shotgun he kept in his den.
Looking forward to more of your stuff, ma’am.
You provide some amusing “behind the scenes” scenes for this moment in Marvel Comics, LOL! Thank you for reading, I am really hoping to get back on track again—and stay on track!