T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents ™&©2005 John Carbonaro ™ TABLE OF CONTENTS T.H.U.N.D.E.R. AGENTS: CONTEXT & CHARACTERS 1984-86: THE DELUXE COMICS YEARS Dave Cockrum, Steve Englehart, Keith Giffen, T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Road!: Jerry Ordway, George Pérez, David M. Singer, Those Timeless, Titanic Agents of T.H.U.N.D.E.R. ..................7 Dann Thomas and John Workman..................125 Distant Thunder: James Bond 007 & Marvel Comics Jim Shooter on T-Agents Ownership................147 Setting the Stage for T-Agents ............................................8 1987: THE SOLSON INTERLUDE Those Halcyon Days of the 1960s’ High Camp Heroes ........12 John Carbonaro, James E. Lyle T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents 101: and Michael Sawyer ....................................148 In-Depth History of the Heroes of Tower..............................14 1987: BLUNDERS OVER T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Death of a Hero: Demise of the Man Called Menthor............24 Boris the Bear & Thunder Bunny....................156 Days of Blunder: Mocking the Men from T.H.U.N.D.E.R.........26 1995: PENTHOUSE COMIX “T&A”GENTS Terry Austin, Paul Gulacy, THE T.H.U.N.D.E.R. FILES John Carbonaro and Jordan Raskin ................158 The Curious Background of T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents ................30 1995: T.H.U.N.D.E.R. AGENTS ANIMATED? The Ultimate T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents Checklist ......................31 Dan DiDio and Marv Wolfman........................162 T.H.U.N.D.E.R. ARTISTS SECTION 2003: THE “ALMOST” NEW T-AGENTS: Marc Andreyko & J.G. Jones ........................164 T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents by Dave Gibbons..............................41 DC’s T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Hype..............................165 1965-69: THE TOWER COMICS YEARS Death of the DC New T-Agents’ Deal ..............167 A Man Called Wood: 2005: JOHN CARBONARO’S T-AGENTS ........168 The Masterful Artist Behind T.H.U.N.D.E.R. ........42 Elvira and The W.I.N.D.Y. Agents....................171 Witzend and Mr. Wallace Allan Wood ..............45 John A. Carbonaro v. David M. Singer Jack Abel, Dan Adkins, Dick Ayers, A Look at Their Thunderous Legal Battle ..........................174 Len Brown, Reed Crandall, Steve Ditko, The Curse of T.H.U.N.D.E.R.? Mike Esposito, Frank Giacoia, John Giunta, The Helter Skelter Ride of Wood’s Heroes ........................176 Larry Ivie, Gil Kane, Sheldon Moldoff, Joe Orlando, Bill Pearson, Paul Reinman, ADVENTURES IN THE THUNDERVERSE Samm Schwartz, Mike Sekowsky,Harry Shorten, Iron Maiden by Garry Leach ..........................................178 Lou Silverstone, Steve Skeates, Manny Stallman, Chic Stone, Sal Trapani, George Tuska, T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents by Alan Davis ................................179 Ogden Whitney and Al Williamson....................46 Post-Modern T-Agents Art by Jay Stephens, John Backderf, James Kochalka, and Dean Haspiel..................................180 The Secret Origin of Tower Comics....................85 “Dreams Past” Art by Garry Leach ..................................182 1981-84: THE JC COMICS YEARS Will Blyberg, Charlie Boatner, Paul Bonanno, “Cold Warriors Never Die!” Art by Paul Gulacy & Terry Austin John Carbonaro, Lou Manna, John Workman ..109 Script by George Caragonne & Tom Thornton ....................189 1983: A NOBLE EXPERIMENT “Prologue to Zero” Art by Paul Gulacy & Terry Austin Justice Machine Annual #1 and T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Script by George Caragonne & Tom Thornton ....................216 John Carbonaro and Bill Reinhold ..................124 Gratitude: For the Love of T.H.U.N.D.E.R.! ........................224 6 the Marvel Age of Comics: the Agents of T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Revival of the 1960s was singularly a result of the Batmania craze of ’66, though the William Dozier-produced, twice-a-week TV sensation was a huge factor in the onslaughting barrage of “high-camp heroes” that flooded the marketplace. More properly, credit—or blame, if you prefer—needs to be given to Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, and all the Marvel Bullpenners who perhaps brought comic book entertainment to a new level of self-awareness and pure joie de vive. As beautifully delineated as DC’s super-hero and war books were, they were humdrum compared to the sheer exuberance of the Marvel Age of Comics. And the kids responded by paying their 12¢ to Martin Goodman’s House of Ideas. But—funny thing this—Marvel’s revolutionary approach to super-heroes, as envied and copied as it would become by the mid-’60s, was itself the result of a Goodman directive to duplicate their main competitor’s hot new title. Oft-told legend has it that during a golf game with DC Comics publisher Harry Donenfeld, Goodman took note of his rival’s boasting. Seems DC’s latest book, one teaming up Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and other DC super-characters, is getting some action on the newsstand… how ’bout that, eh? Well, Goodman, whose own company Spider-Man Annual #2. Art by Steve Ditko. ©2005 Marvel Characters, Inc.. had a considerable cast of once formidable, now dormant costumed-characters, went back to the office, hung up his golf cap, and gave cousin-in-law and editor-in-chief Stan Lee instructions to Amazing put together a Marvel Comics super-hero team to compete with Harry’s Justice League of America. But, instead of raiding the house inventory and forming a super-squad with Captain detail from America, the Sub-Mariner, and Marvel Boy, Stan—with the essential input of his frequent Cover collaborator, the genius artist also known as “The King,” Jack Kirby—decided on a quartet of new characters… sorta. Throwing in a twist that this crime-fighting group was actually right: Far an extended family, Lee and Kirby ushered in The Fantastic Four, the first title of the publisher’s great second act, the Marvel Age of Comics. Still, as cool as Stan and Jack’s team of Mr. Fantastic, the Thing, Invisible Girl, and the Human Torch were, the new Marvel hero that most effectively captivated comic book readers was Stan and artist/co-creator Steve Ditko’s friendly neighborhood web-slinger, the Amazing Spider-Man. It was Peter Parker, the angst- ridden teen riddled with self-doubt, burdened with too much power and too much responsibility for such a tender age, who resonated with fans. In comparison, Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne were, well, corny with a capital “K” compared to the emerging relevance of Marvel’s anti-heroes. But we all know how DC cashed in on corny, right? The all-encompassing success of the Batman TV show, as over-the-top and hokey as all get-out, proved that there was plenty of money to be made in camp, and so with the Dynamic Duo and Spidey cover. Art by Murphy Anderson. ©2005 DC cover. Comics. showing the way, a flood of costumed tights parad- #28 ed across the stands, much of it pure drek (remember the short-lived Captain (“Let’s Split!”) Marvel?), but some titles held more than a hint of inspiration. (Interestingly, 1965’s most important innovator, publisher James Warren, of Famous Monsters of Filmland and Creepy Brave and the Bold fame, resisted the temptation to exploit the trend—at least in sequential form, if not in The merchandising!) It was an ex-Bullpenner (albeit a member of Stan’s team for Right: mere months) who gave Marvel real competition in the creativity department. 9 T Regardless of the legendary artist’s gun-toting playboy spies suddenly op left: professed disdain for costumed characters, invaded nearly every aspect of culture. Panel Wallace Wood, fresh from a brief but exception- Celluloid knock-offs included a pair of Our detail from ally memorable stint as artist and re-designer on Man Flint flicks, a Matt Helm movie trilogy, Marvel’s Daredevil, accepted Tower Comics two D r. Goldfoot comedies (melding espionage publisher Harry Shorten’s directive to create a with the beach party genre), and even the Daredevil totally-new super hero comics line with vigor and animated feature, The Man Called Flintstone. #7. obvious enthusiasm. Melding the then-au currant But it was on television where the fad had the biggest ©2005 Marvel Characters, Inc. Wood. Art by Wallace James Bond 007 spy craze with the Marvel impact. Shows sporting the Bond influence included I Method, Tower’s art director—and, importantly, Spy, Secret Agent, Mission: Impossible, The Saint, Wild the line’s de facto editor—gathered the best avail- Wild West, Get Smart, and Saturday morning fare, such able artists (Reed Crandall, Gil Kane, George Tuska, as Jonny Quest, Secret Squirrel, and Lancelot Link: Secret Mike Sekowsky, neophyte Dan Adkins, Chic Stone, Chimp. And the most significant TV spy show of all was The later Steve Ditko and Al Williamson, among others) Man from U.N.C.L.E. (a series that spawned The Girl from… to create the unforgettable T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents. spin-off), which popularized the novelty of adding clever Woody’s comics could be grim (featuring the first-ever acronyms to the fad. Sure, Bond fought agents of death of a leading super-hero!), funny (the antics of SPECTRE (the SPecial Executive for Counter-intelligence headliner Dynamo’s alter-ego, Len (ahem) Brown, still Terrorism Revenge and Extortion), but it was the evoke a chuckle today), sexy (sometimes decidedly heroes of the United Network Command of Law and on this side of S&M, judging by the femme fatale to Enforcement, in their battle against the villains of beat them all, the Iron Maiden), angst-ridden (every T.H.R.U.S.H. (the Technological Hierarchy for the time Lightning ran at super-speed, he shaved minutes Removal of Undesirables and Subjugation of off his life), wonky (as we shouldn’t neglect Manny Humanity) which inspired a plethora of letter Stallman’s gloriously strange “Raven” strips), and just combinations, including Derek Flint’s agency, plain fun! All in all, they were a superb part of ZOWIE (Zonal Organization for World Intelligence American comics in the ’60s and, for those willing to and Espionage).