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Top Five Marvel Spotlight Creations!
- by Brian Cronin
- in Top Five
Marvel Spotlight was a comic designed to either introduce new characters or give characters a, well, spotlight.
Here, to continue Top Five Month, is a look at the top five characters to be introduced in the pages of Marvel Spotlight!
Enjoy!
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Special citation for Satana - I believe Marvel Spotlight #13 was to be her first appearance, but delays led to Vampire Tales #2 coming out first, so let us dis-include her.
Satana is awesome, it's too bad we never got to see her series by Ellis.
Devil-Slayer is a pretty cool character, and he showed up in Marvel Spotlight #33, tangling with Deathlok.
5. Marlene Fontaine
Moon Knight's one true love, debuted in Marvel Spotlight #28, when Moon Knight was given the spotlight.
4. Red Wolf
Red Wolf is a cool character who, while getting his own title, I don't think was ever really given that much of a chance. I believe he may be the last notable character created by the late, great Gardner Fox.
3. Werewolf by Night
Created by the Thomases, Werewolf by Night probably has the coolest pun name in comics - Jack Russell.
He is still a prominent member of the Marvel Universe, popping up here and there - he's soon to show up in the pages of Moon Knight!
2. Spider-Woman
Jessica Drew has become a major player in the Marvel Universe, even more so after Brian Michael Bendis returned her to her classic red costume and had her join the Avengers. Of course, that was a Skrull Queen, so, well, I dunno...I guess Jessica is still cool. Maybe.
1. Ghost Rider
"I'll take No-Brainers for $1000, Alex!"
When you do anthology books where you debut new characters in the hopes of them becoming major characters, a character like Ghost Rider is a dream come true.
That's the list! Agree? Disagree? Let me know!
- Posted on July 3, 2008 @ 10:57 PM
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17 Comments
Grapeweasel
July 4, 2008 at 3:23 am
Red Wolf first appeared in Avengers 80.
Mantistotem
July 4, 2008 at 3:26 am
Didn't Satana first appear in the black & white "Dracula Lives!" magazine? Issue #2 IIRC?
Brian Cronin
July 4, 2008 at 4:00 am
Different guy.
Brian Cronin
July 4, 2008 at 4:04 am
Issue appearances are a real pain in the ass back determining for these books, due to the delays involved. I think it was supposed to be Spotlight then Vampire Tales, but yeah, it WAS Vampire Tales then Spotlight, technically, so I'll take her out and give her a special honorable mention section!
alan
July 4, 2008 at 4:23 am
Marvel Spotlight wasn't really for the introduction of characters - even the revamped series in 1979 only had one debut (the awesome Dragon Lord). I thought Scarecrow had been introduced in Marvel Spotlight, but it turns out his issue was Scarecrow #2 that never saw print (#1 having been printed in Dead of Night).
Now Marvel *Premiere*... My top five from that series would be:
5. 3-D Man, now comfortably retconned into Marvel 50s comics history
4. Alice Cooper, with beautiful art by Tom Sutton
3. The Legion of Monsters, a sadly underused team-up of Marvel's supernatural characters
2. Woodgod, one of Keith Giffen's earliest creations, alongside the sadly-missed Bill Mantlo
1. Iron Fist~!
If only there could be a similar series troday - Kirkman or Slott would do wonders with it, and I guess Kirkman kinda did, with his run on Marvel Team-Up.
Rusty Priske
July 4, 2008 at 5:44 am
Different guy? Really?
The cover is even similar if memory serves.
MJ
July 4, 2008 at 6:14 am
Tom Sutton did the Alice Cooper Marvel Premiere? Why did I think it was Terry Austin? I hated that issue.
Ciaran
July 4, 2008 at 6:50 am
And Marvel Premiere birthed my favourite 70s book, The Invaders in #29/30. Have to track them down one of these days.
Mantistotem
July 4, 2008 at 8:15 am
That Spider Woman cover (#32) is one of my favorite examples of Marvel having John Romita (sr.) redraw a character's face for the cover. I guess they were looking for a 'consistent look' or something. Spider Woman with action by Kane, face by Romita: bliss!
However, Hulk with body by Herb Trimpe (sp?) and face by Romita....not so much
Bill Reed
July 4, 2008 at 8:26 am
Ha. Now do Marvel Premiere! And we better see some Woodgod and Monark Starstalker...
Michael Hoskin
July 4, 2008 at 9:15 am
Marlene..."Fontaine?" It's Alraune.
Brian Cronin
July 4, 2008 at 10:00 am
Not when she appeared in Marvel Spotlight. She was married for a time, remember? And that married name was Fontaine.
Brian Cronin
July 4, 2008 at 10:01 am
Yeah, it's weird, I know.
I dunno WHY it is a different guy, per se, but it is definitely a different guy.
Michael
July 4, 2008 at 10:09 am
I believe the Red Wolf in Avengers 80 was a contemporary descendant of the guy featured above, who was an Old West hero.
Da Fug
July 4, 2008 at 4:30 pm
Ghoooost Riiider mo-tor-cy-cle heeeee-rooooo...
Dang it. Now I will have to listen to The Crow soundtrack.
Daniel O' Dreams
July 4, 2008 at 7:57 pm
I was about to post "What no love for Son Of Satan?" but then i remembered he first appeared in Ghost Rider.... nevermind.....
Blackjak
July 14, 2008 at 7:22 am
Ciaran,
Sorry, but was the Liberty Legion in Showcase 29/30... The two issues crossed over with Invaders 5/6/7... Red Skull brainwashed/possessed Cap, Submariner and the Torch, and Bucky (with the assistance of the Flat Man - who I think has since appeared in "The New Invaders") created the Liberty Legion to fight back against the Possesed Invaders...
Acquired them for Christmas, finishing off my Invaders collection...